Well... like I said, I've only been to one show before (and that was last April!) so I don't remember too much... but I just remember that things seemed a bit pricey... For example, from what I remember the average price was around $45 each (phals, dendrobium, paphs, milts, etc). Now, I know that some species are harder to get and obviously are more expensive. But from what I remember this held true for hybrids as well. I've been growing orchids for over a year now and it has been a joy and I've been rather successful. Maybe I'm just spoiled (and cheap!), but for the most part, I can't justify spending $45 for a phal hybrid (not an art shade or other unusual variety) when I can buy them at street fairs and big box stores for $10-$20 (and in good condition). However, I do love to look so I am happily going to look at both the show flowers and the sale flowers :-) yay!

Welcome, and congratulations! Listen, not EVERY rose requires dis budding to mature. Some are perfectly vigorous enough to flower and still grow. However, some definitely are NOT. Many own root Teas, Climbing Teas and particularly yellow Tea-Noisettes and some Chinas can take forever to develop and mature into the plants you expect them to be. Permitting them to flower only slows their development. Weak, stingy growers such as Austin's Dove; many of the earlier gray, brown and green roses; many of the Tea-like earlier HTs can also drag their feet, producing begrudging inches of growth. Permitting them to flower will slow them down greatly, too. Then, you have some more modern climbers, such as Kordes' Rosarium Uetersen, Renae and my Annie Laurie McDowell which will sit and flower like a blooming weed while refusing to climb. If you want to push these to climb, you pinch off the buds, forcing that energy into pushing elongated canes from the plants in their efforts to bloom again. Budding these particular types will speed up their development quite a bit, but they still benefit from dis budding to push growth. Own root versions of them are significantly slower to develop. It's with these that dis budding provides the greatest benefit. It is quite possible your roses won't require dis budding to develop into the plants you desire, in the time frame you have in mind. Whether they will or not, they very likely will mature into what you hope for faster if you don't let them flower. Whether you permit flowering as they desire; permit only some of the flowers to mature and open or simply continue dis budding them until they are the size you want them to be is up to you. Enjoy whatever flowers you want to, but keep in mind that if they are taking longer than you hoped to develop into the plants you expected or desired, removing the flowers to force growth should help you get what you want, closer to when you want it. Kim

Hi weirdtrev, Thanks for your response and for the tips! I do have all three plants in separate containers, I just wasn't sure if the containers were large enough (those big plastic storage boxes from Wal Mart, with drainage holes drilled). I looked high and low for something to use as a trellis---no luck at Home Depot, Lowe's, or Calloways! Not even tomato cages. I kept getting told I was looking in the wrong season and whenever I mentioned growing mini pumpkins in containers they all looked at me like I am a looney tune. I improvised with some tall wire sticks that have loops at the top and am hoping to talk boyfriend into helping me improvise further with the chicken wire we have left over from building tops for our Square Foot Gardens. I'm sure we can come up with something! Re: the flowers, are they female because they have the pretty orange flower? I still can't figure out the male vs. female part. I have lots of flowers on all three plants but only one baby so far. Thanks again! :) Wendy

Thank you all! Ben, I don't have much of a sniffer but it does have a nice soft fragrance.