Hello All, I've been the owner of a non-responding Brassavola Little Stars and when I recently went to a show (the first contact I've had with other orchid growers)and it was suggested that I get brighter lighting. And so I bought a 2' - 4 beam T5 fluorescent lights and its about a foot over the orchids. After a few days, my little stars is turning purple on several of the thinner leaves. Can someone tell me if the light is too much? Or should I have been expecting this to happen?

Hey, Sam! Glad to see you're back, and very pleased to find you posting on this thread. A trip to the Botanic Garden in DC must have been thrilling. I've never been there. Now you're makiing me wish I had. I guess besides orchids, they must have every kind of plant as well. Sounds really wonderful and exciting. I would probably get arrested for trying to pinch off a cutting here or there :) Looks like you're in love with Brassavolas. I don't blame you, I love plants with fragrance, too. And Bs are so tough, just putting up new growths on all sides. I used to have a couple of Bs, a nodosa and Little Stars. Jiminy Cricket was on my list. The scent threaded thru the house at dusk, really lovely. The Little Stars would put up 10 or a dozen spikes in the fall. Always a treat. Yours sound like they have really strong fragrance. Mine were only faint. (Or my nose wasn't good at picking it up.) Never was sure which it was. Glad you're having a great summer, with spikes on your nodosa, and new leaves on the phal. If it's rootless, try some root hormone on it. My summer is being great, too. I do love summer since I started growing orchids. For all the growth and flowers. I'm not surprised you've converted your friends to orchids. a) they're beautiful and b) your enthusiasm is catching. Please do post your pictures when you have time. I'm looking forward to them. Your pictures are always beautiful. Hope you took some at the Botanic Gardens. as you say, Lata

Wow, very very nice. Thanks for posting the inspiring photo. I must hold my Jiminy Cricket to the monitor and show it how to behave. I've waited 7 years for my Jiminy to flower. It squeezed out one bloom. It's in a basket, it still gets some tip rot. I moved it right in front of a fan. I have Brassvola nodosa, it does not complain and still blooms. I have another cross with R. digbyana, it blooms faithfully and does not complain. Is there some mystery about Jiminy Cricket that I am missing? argh Please send morale support and culture notes Please! Thanks~ Maryanne in WMass

I don't have anything to trade. But is there anything you're looking for? Ivan ivan.ferdous@gmail.com