Hi Mini, I live in a part of California with a climate similar to yours at this time of year--low humidity, day to night temp range (indoors at the window) of 60 to 85. My Phals are in an ESE exposure, and screened from most of their direct morning sun by a semisheer curtain. They get no direct afternoon sun. They have had winter-spring conditions like these for three years and seem to "like" them just fine, so I doubt that your conditions are the direct problem. You have had the plant long enough for it to have made the adjustment from store to its new home. I'm guessing that John (aerides), in his first post above, is correct and the difficulty has to do with the watering of your plant. Knowing when to water is probably the trickiest part of learning to care for a Phal. If one waters too soon, the plant stays wet too long and is subject to rot. If one waters too late (i.e. after the media dries out) the plant selectively economizes, reducing water to some other of its parts, resulting in a desiccated leaf, wilting flowers, or blasted buds. Being at an open window can accelerate the drying of your plant. Since sunlight, temp, and humidity fluctuate, watering once a week will not always be enough, and sometimes it will be too much. The good news is that you can check. If you gently work your finger down about two inches or so into the media and it feels damp, then your Phal does not need water. If it feels barely moist, then it IS time to water. You do not want it to dry out completely, because (as John also pointed out) the flowers or buds will be the first parts to suffer. Some growers can tell if their Phals need water by lifting the pots: if they are light, they need water. But this takes a sensitive touch and a bit of experience to learn. Others use a rounded off skewer buried 2-3 inches into the media. They pull it out, touch the tip to their lip or cheek, and if it is cool or damp they don't water. Both of these are a little too subtle for me, so I use the finger method. This post may be a little too late for the saving of your blooms, but watering technique is something that you will need to keep your Phal healthy after blooming, as well. I hope it will help, and that your next blooms will give you their full complement of three or more months of joy. Sweetcicely

I was unfamiliar with the term "bud blast" until you used it. As I understand it, it refers to buds drying up without opening. I didn't find any hosta references, but in other plants the things blamed seemed to be growing conditions, insects, or fungus. Frost and drought are often mentioned as issues... certainly a period of no water could affect hosta scapes. With Aphrodite in particular, I usually get some open buds, but not all of them. And the ones that open are usually uneven, opening only part way with some petals sticking together. The problem isn't usually drying up buds, though... it is like the bud wants to open but gets kind of stuck-together. I've heard of people actually helping the buds open by gentle peeling.

Bella is a cool temp. growing hoya, so make sure it isn't exposed to high or dry heat. I never could get this one to be happy for me, but I have it's tiny leaved cousin (chinghungensis) growing and thriving, hanging under the skylight in my kids' bathroom. Bella (and chinghungensis) likes to be kept lightly damp, but not drippy/soggy. Growing semi-hydro seems to work well, but I make the reservoir shallower (1/2-3/4 inch for bella/chinghungensis vs. the standard 1-1 and 1/2 inch reservoir for other hoyas) because the roots seem more shallow and more sensitive to growing in the water. This is probably a defense mechanism due to them being cooler climate growers.

Very common with newly planted peonies when they can not support development of flowers. Could be weather or something different, but if it is 1st year plant - do not worry.