Vendors usually only sell stuff in bloom. There are 2 types of vendors. Growers and jobbers. Jobbers import thousands of plants from the orient, or whenever, who are forces into bloom as soon as possible and at convenient times. There are specific regimes in order to bring plants into bloom for Valentine Day. Buying a blooming plant from someone like that will not assure you that the plant will rebloom next year at the same time. Growers, like Santa Barbara Orchid Estates have plants growing under similar conditions than they will experience in our yards. If you buy a plant from them which is in bloom in May, you stand a reasonable chance that it will bloom again next May. A simple strategy is to look at websites of growers who feature a page entitled "Currently in bloom" or something like that. If you buy a blooming cat every month from someone like that you'll subsequently have something in bloom all the time. I know that some of my plants bloom to the month without fail every year. We have our installation banquet in June, a show in March and an other show in Sept. I can rely on certain plants to always be ready for these events. If you belong to a society where members bring in blooming plants for display, you again will see what's in bloom and when it blooms. The first one on Arthur's list, Blc Daffodil blooms all spring for me, March until end of May, not huge flowers but many. By the way it's growing in a 6" pot and was given to me by someone in 2003 who told me the last time he re-potted it was in 1990. It's hanging and spilling over the pot in all directions so you can't even see the pot anymore. Another good example of leaving plants alone and letting them do their thing. I don't know what's in that pot, nor do I care, that plant will only be be re-potted if Charlie Brown successfully kicks that football. That will never happen. I take it to talks at the show and demonstrate it as an example of 'Old orchids never die, they just get bigger'. Good luck, Nick

quinnfyre, yes the alata is still blooming. The plant has about 20 spikes on it that each rebloom several times so don't cut the 'dead' spikes off. It also has a bunch of cute seed caps as well. The way I grow my little Pleuros is I use those clear plastic $1 shoeboxes (toss the lid). They have enough height to hold in humidity, and the plants are only 1" to 4" tall anyhow. I put the plants in groups into plastic vanda baskets, 6" mostly, which keeps the plants from continually falling over and also holds them up above the bottom of the box where water tends to accumulate. This way, I can keep about 1/4" of water in the bottom to raise the humidity up a bit more than the 50% the greenhouse runs without keeping the plants soggy. To water, pick up the two baskets, hose the plants off, and return to the shoebox. The boxes (I have about four of them) are put to the side of the shoplights on a dim shelf at the back of the GH. They don't need very bright light. I am only using the vanda baskets because I have a stack of them; I didn't buy them for this purpose. Anything else can be used that fits the same type of description; the housewares department in stores have all kinds of possibilities. This is what my baskets look like. I use them for Vandas, too :-) Here is a link that might be useful: Vanda baskets

Oh my, what lovely blooms.I love your Starbright.It sure does look like slices of papaya.I'm putting this on my list also.Is it an easy grower? Allymarie

Quite lovely, adore the colors. Allymarie