1800Orchids.com's photostream

1800Orchids.com's photostream on Flickr.

Hey I can post right from flickr to Blogger... cool.

Wild Orchid swimwear - Photo Gallery

This post has nothing to do with orchid plants but I just had to share it... Wild Orchid swimwear... cool name :)

URL: http://tools.goldcoast.com.au/photo-gallery/photo_gallery_popup_preview.php?category_id=25471

Enjoy,
Steve

Orchid grower wins the highest honor after decades of cultivation

Planter earns award from American Orchid Society for cultivated orchid plant...

Dendrobium lindleyi

URL: http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/photos/2011/mar/22/52707/

Enjoy,
Steve Peralta
1888Orchids.com

Name an Orchid from Buyagift.com

This beautifully personalised gift will bring the recipient happiness time and time again. The Name an Orchid gift box includes a uniquely numbered seed pack, which will be registered on the Exotic Orchid Registry in the recipient's name. They can then grow their own orchid tree, nurturing it as it grows from a seedling into a beautiful tree over the years to come.

The Name an Orchid pack contains a registration card for you to complete and send off with the name for registration. Your pack also includes:

Welcome Letter
A3 Growing Planner
Uniquely numbered pack of Orchid Tree Seeds
Polythene growing bags
How to grow and care for your Orchid Tree leaflet
Personalised certificate - including your chosen name, unique number and date of registry

~ They stole my idea!! This is interesting but it's from the United Kingdom - anybody bought this yet?
URL: www.buyagift.co.uk/Product/Id/9438/.../Name_an_Orchid

Enjoy,

Steve Peralta

1888Orchids



Name an Orchid from Buyagift

Amazing Video from the Taiwan International Orchid Show 2011

Taiwan Sugar Corp. wins big at International Orchid Show

A white orchid grown by Taiwan Sugar Corp. brings home the top prize in the Phalaenopsis category at this year’s Taiwan International Orchid Show. (Courtesy of the Ministry of Economic Affairs)

Taiwan Sugar Corp. nabbed 33 awards March 11 at the seventh annual Taiwan International Orchid Show, a record for the Tainan-based state-run enterprise.
“Among the prizes we received, the most important one was for a white orchid, code named K62901, which captured both the grand prize in the Phalaenopsis category and the First Class Certificate from the American Orchid Society,” the TSC said.
“Such a strong performance testifies to TSC’s global leadership in growing moth orchids,” the company added. “It shows our horticulture products are popular with consumers worldwide.”

URL: http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=155995&ctNode=445

Enjoy,
Steve Peralta
1888Orchids.com

International orchid show opens in Tainan, Taiwan

The Taiwan International Orchid Show 2011 opened Friday (March 4) at the Taiwan Orchid Plantation in the southern city of Tainan.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Taiwan's Vice President Vincent Siew said the orchid is one of Taiwan's most important agricultural exports and is also a symbol of the country's soft power.

URL: http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20110304000129&cid=1803

Enjoy,
Steve
1888Orchids

The allure of vanilla: A guide to using vanilla beans

Growing vanilla beans takes patience and care. A member of the orchid family, the vine blooms once a year in the spring and must be hand-pollinated within 12 hours of opening. When the beans are picked, they look more like a green bean than the vanilla bean we would recognize in the store. After harvesting the beans are cured and dried, a labor intensive process that includes wrapping them in cloth to sweat, laying them in the sun to dry, and placing them in air tight boxes. The time between harvesting and selling takes months.

URL:
http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2011/02/23/the-allure-of-vanilla-a-guide-to-using-vanilla-beans/

Enjoy,
Steve Peralta
1888Orchids

Orchid Show at New York Botanical Garden: The Orchid Show: On Broadway

Theater and flowers collide in "The Orchid Show: On Broadway," which runs March 5 through April 5 at the New York Botanical Garden and features more than 5,000 specimens of orchids arranged to echo the architectural elements of some of Broadway's most iconic theaters.

URL:
http://www.courant.com/features/home-garden/hc-cover-home-garden-events-20110225,0,1647596.story?track=rss

Enjoy,
Steve Peralta
1888Orchids.com









Orchid Show at New York Botanical Garden: The Orchid Show: On Broadway - Courant.com

Rare orchid sighting

Phragmipedium kovachii

URL:
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/116237129.html


Enjoy,
Steve
1888Orchids.com

Be Reverse Paranoid

This post has nothing to do with orchids but that's what blogs are for, the blog owner can post whatever is on his or her mind.  Today I just want to share a thought about attitude.  So many things can be going wrong in our lives and it is the decisions we make about those things that determine what the outcome is going to be.  I really believe that in my heart.  If I have a good attitude about everything, even the bad things, that gives me the opportunity to control those things.  If I have a bad attitude for something wrong that happens, then I lose control of that and tell myself I have no responsibility for it, I am powerless, bring on the bad consequences of my thoughts...  So no matter what is wrong (or right) in my life, I keep a good attitude about it and know that it is all working for the better.  That's the attitude you should have too.  Be a reverse paranoid (as Jack Canfield says), be an optimist.  Don't worry, be happy and all those bad things will fall to the side.  I am most sure of it...

Steve Peralta
1888Orchids.com

Belated Valentine Orchid Gifts

Forgot to send your sweetie a gift for Valentine's Day? If you mentioned you were going to do something special and you forgot, the wrong thing to do is nothing.  You have to give her something, especially if you already mentioned it.  Jewelry, chocolates or candy are all great gifts but you want to send something that will make her forget you forgot her special day, what should you give?

Delight Her with an Orchid Gift

Phalaenopsis Orchid Gift

So you feel embarrassed  because you forgot her special day.  Don't worry, with a few tips, you can send her a belated valentine and she'll forgive you.  How? The trick is to send her something so special, she'll forget you forgot.  But what can you send her that is so special she'll forget you forgot her special day? Orchid gifts! Yes, orchids make great Valentine's Day presents.  They are unique and alluring not to mention exotic - which is what Valentine's Day is all about.  Valentine's Day is about love and orchid are very romantic.

Next, don't mention to her that you forgot.  Just give her something.  If you mention you forgot, she will know you forgot.  If you send her an orchid, send it with a gift note that says Be My Valentine or Thinking of you on Valentine's Day.  You'll sound like a loser if you use the word "forgot" so just keep the card message simple and don't tell her why you forgot unless she mentions it.  We think orchids are special and just looking at one makes you feel good. 

Finally, don't forget her special day again.  Orchid gifts should do the trick to forgive you for missing her special day but just don't forget a second time because you may need to send two orchids next time.

Deep Cut Orchid Show brings exotic varieties to Holmdel Feb. 10 through Feb. 13

Deep Cut Orchid Show brings exotic varieties to Holmdel Feb. 10 through Feb. 13 | NJ.com

Blue Phalaenopsis - Blue Mystique

Silver Vase Debuts World's First Blue Orchid
by Silver Vase, Inc.
Posted: 2011-01-19 15:10:58 EST

Homestead, Fla. - Silver Vase proudly introduces Blue Mystique, the world's first blue orchid. Exclusive patented technology makes this new introduction truly distinctive.
"We're pleased to give a first look at the hottest new variety the orchid world has seen in years," said Silver Vase CEO Andrew Bartha. "Blue Mystique is truly the most unique orchid on the market."
Exceptional in any setting, Blue Mystique adds flair to home and office alike. Its long-lasting, lovely blooms shine electric blue on a dramatic single or double spike.
Blue Mystique thrives in low to medium light and comes in a 5" pot.
Silver Vase debuted Blue Mystique at the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition (TPIE) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, January 19-21. Orders are being taken now.


URL: http://www.perishablenews.com/index.php?article=0012543

Enjoy,
Steve Peralta

Largest orchid in the world' growing in Brazil

BRASILIA - BRAZIL'S environmental agency announced on Tuesday the 'largest orchid in the world' was growing in a botanic garden in the capital, at a height of 2.5m and some stems measuring as long as three metres.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Lifestyle/Story/STIStory_630908.html

Enjoy,
Wendy

Wealth of orchid varieties is down to busy bees and helpful fungi, says study

Scientists have discovered why orchids are one of the most successful groups of flowering plants - it is all down to their relationships with the bees that pollinate them and the fungi that nourish them. The study, published tomorrow in The American Naturalist, is the culmination of a ten-year research project in South Africa involving researchers from Imperial College London, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and other international institutions.
http://www.sciencecentric.com/news/11013110-wealth-orchid-varieties-is-down-busy-bees-helpful-fungi-says-study.html

Orchid Notebook - iPhone app from NerdsGeeksGurus

NerdsGeeksGurus, LLC has released Orchid Notebook 1.0 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. With this app, orchid hobbyists and growers are able to track their orchid collections and wish lists. The app also offers a basic reference section aimed toward new orchid enthusiasts, and includes descriptions, care, and propagation of orchids. Orchid Notebook will be developed more fully through periodic ...

URL: Orchid Notebook - iPhone app from NerdsGeeksGurus - prMac - pitchengine.com

Enjoy,
Steve Peralta
1888Orchids

Orchids' health speaks volumes

Deep in the silent and ancient spookiness of a cypress swamp in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge - complete with an 8-foot alligator - was a sight to make an orchid hunter's mouth water.
A half-dozen clamshell orchids and a dingy-flower star orchid grew on a pop ash; a few yards away, beyond a 600- to 800-year-old cypress tree, was a night-scented orchid. All three species were delicate, beautiful and endangered.


http://www.news-press.com/article/20110121/GREEN/101210407/Orchids-health-speaks-volumes



Enjoy,
Wendy Emerald

Orchids brighten a room with little effort

Orchids are beautiful and fascinating plants. But the thought of growing orchids, especially indoors, is intimidating for lots of gardeners. It conjures up pictures of giant greenhouses, complicated humidity, light and heat controls, and horticulturalists in white lab coats. Despite their reputation for being finicky flower divas, orchids aren't difficult to grow.

Enjoy,
Steve Peralta
1888Orchids.com

URL: Home & Garden | Orchids brighten a room with little effort | Seattle Times Newspaper

Combat winter blahs with orchid houseplant

If the winter ickies have got you down, a visit to a nursery or garden center is a great pick-me-up. And chances are you'll find a good selection of orchids in full bloom. While orchids look exotic, they make great houseplants. And the Phalaenopsis orchid, also called the moth orchid, is a snap to grow. It should be kept nearly dry between watering, so you don't have to be a slave to its needs like some other houseplants. Depending on the medium it's planted in, potting soil or bark, it only needs watering every week to 10 days. After it blooms, cut the flower stem back by half, about an inch above a green fleshly node and with luck the plant will re-flower.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110121/OPINION03/101210317/Combat-winter-blahs-with-orchid-houseplant#ixzz1Bh4TKNDm

Welcome Wendy Emerald

The Orchidaceous Blog would like to welcome our newest member of our team, Wendy Emerald - she's in Division 2 - Marketing and will be handling our e-business marketing... woohoo!!

Welcome Wendy.

Steve Peralta
1888Orchids.com

What does the word "Orchidaceous" mean?

Or-chi-da-ceous  adjective: \ˌȯr-kə-ˈdā-shəs\ means of, relating to or resembling the orchids.  Now that is a cool definition, don't you think? Orchidaceous also means showy or ostentatious.  So the word orchidaceous (wait, I can't spell check orchidaceous, hmm) means relating to or resembling orchids.  Orchids are air plants, they use the air you and I breathe to live.  That means an orchidaceous plant can be a fern (also an air plant) and bromeliads (the pineapple is a bromeliad) which are also air plants.  I wonder who made up this word, because I like it a lot? Don't you?

Orchids and bromeliads not blooming? Friends have the answer.

I tucked apple wedges between Vriesea bromeliads so the rotting fruit would produce ethylene gas, which makes most plants sprout flower stalks.

Orchids and bromeliads not blooming? Friends have the answer. - CSMonitor.com

Enjoy,
Steve
1888Orchids

We have a lot to be thankful for...

Despite any challenges we may be facing, we still have a lot to be thankful for... Let's finish the year focusing on the good things happening in our life, not the bad.  And if you really think about it... it's all good.  This post gives me an excuse to post photos of orange orchids, the color of the season.  Enjoy!

Orchid Plant Adventures to Exotic Destinations

I need a holiday. A trip to Guatemala even sounds good. I don't mean to be facetious but there is a lot of violence in Guatemala. Well, I am not afraid of spiders... probably because I don't think of spiders. So, I think if I focus on the beauty of things and places I will only experience the beauty. That's simple right? Just focus on greatness and you will experience greatness. Well, what does this motivational stuff have to do with a holiday? I have heard great things about Guatemala from an experienced horticulturalist. According to him, Guatemala has more flora (the plant life in a region) than any of the other regions like Costa Rica, Peru, Belize or Honduras. He described Guatemala as a floral paradise. But he also said, "Hay mucha violencia" which in Spanish means there is a lot of violence. That means I will need to go to Guatemala myself. Someday. And marvel at the beauty of Guatemala's flora and forget about mine and Guatemala's problems.

Anyone planning a trip to Guatemala to see its flora can contact (I am not affiliated with this organization):

Plant Adventures to Exotic Destinations

Enjoy,
Steve
1888Orchids

Vanilla beans + vodka = homemade extract

"vanilla extract...can be made... from home with just two ingredients... making vanilla extract requires very little time and maintenance...

URL: http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/10/19/vanilla-beans-vodka-homemade-extract/

Steve
1888Orchids

Encore!

It also comes in this size (large) :) we're testing the imager.. is that even a word? imager? hey, i invented a new word which means resizing an image on Blogger... yeah, that's it.  Well, it's the same photo as the other post today but a little bigger.  The orchid is so beautiful I figured you wouldn't mind seeing it again anyway...

Two new Orchid Species have been discovered and registered in Machu Picchu

Two new Orchid Species have been discovered and registered in Machu Picchu,  Peru by Dr. Carlyle A. Luer: Brachionidium carmeniae Luer, sp. nov. and  Brachionidium inkaterrense Luer & C.Soto, sp. nov. with the collaboration of  Inkaterra Asociación (ITA), an NGO created by the Joe and Denise Koechlin to
study and protect flora and fauna in the Machu Picchu National Sanctuary. * Brachionidium inkaterrense Luer & C.Soto, sp. nov. is a 10 cm tall  epiphyte growing on sphagnum moss at 3000 - 3200 meters, blooming in
October. Flowers last for 2 or 3 days.  * Brachionidium carmeniae Luer, sp. nov., named after Carmen Soto,
Coordinator of ecological programs at Inkaterra, is 10 cm tall epiphyte  growing on sphagnum moss blooming in October at 3000 - 3200 meters. Flowers  last for 2 or 3 days.

Both species seem to be endemic to Machu Picchu.

See the pictures at: http://bit.ly/bcdQwD
Orchid Conservation and Biodiversity Conference in Machu Picchu (February
2011): http://www.mapibio.com/

 

Brachionidium carmeniae Luer, sp. nov.

Brachionidium inkaterrense Luer & C.Soto, sp. nov.

Enjoy,
Steve
1888Orchids.com

Happy Autumn!

Miniature Moth Orchids

Today is election day... woohoo! (unless you're reading this after election day) Democracy does work.  I hope everyone got out and voted.  What a historic time for our country.  It is a historic time for just about every sector, don't you agree? - politics, agriculture, space, biology.., you name it, something is being etched in the history of this great country.  Something great is happening everywhere these days...
History is also being made in agriculture - especially with orchid plants.  That's right, orchid breeding, especially phalaenopsis orchid breeding is reaching a climax with the latest trend being miniature moth orchids in 3" (7.6 centimeters) growing pots.  Here is a sampling of these little beauties - the hottest trend in blooming orchid plant offerings - the miniature moth orchid in small pots.

Miniature orchids add color to dish gardens or you can combine up to six miniature moth orchids and create a miniature moth orchid garden.  Woohoo!

Overview of Growing Orchids Indoors

For most gardening and flower enthusiasts, bloomed flowers are most fascinating to see, especially if they work hard and care for it, till it blossom. Among the most planted floras for gardens, orchids are one of the favorites.

Link:Overview of Growing Orchids Indoors

Enjoy,
Steve Peralta
1888Orchids.com

Orchid Lights – The Correct Spectrum

What's a home horticulturist to do? The window sills are full and a greenhouse out back is not in the budget for years to come. Orchid lights can be a great enhancement to your growing or lighting needs.

Link:Orchid Lights – The Correct Spectrum

Enjoy,
Steve Peralta
1888Orchids.com

Five tips for growing orchids

rchids are exotic plants that many gardeners insist are simple to grow.

Link:Five tips for growing orchids | Chattanooga Times Free Press

Enjoy,
Steve Peralta
1888Orchids.com

Orchid tricks hoverflies: Eastern marsh helleborine mimics aphid alarm pheromones to attract pollinators

Eastern marsh helleborine (Epipactis veratrifolia), an orchid species, has successfully lured a hoverfly of the genus Ischiodon by mimicking alarm pheromones usually emitted by aphids. Credit: MPI Chemical Ecology, Johannes Stök

Orchid tricks hoverflies: Eastern marsh helleborine mimics aphid alarm pheromones to attract pollinators

Enjoy,
Steve
1888Orchids.com

Orchid Problems and Pests : Mealybugs and Brown Soft Scales

Here is a great article about mealybugs published by The McAllen International Orchid Society Journal.

Orchid Problems and Pests : Mealybugs and Brown Soft Scales

Enjoy,
Steve
1888Orchids.com

I like, you like?

Orchids - going, going gone!

Orchids - going, going gone! » Naples Daily News (User story from kitmaran)

URL: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/oct/08/orchids---going-going-gone-1565/?partner=yahoo_feeds

Enjoy,
Steve
1888Orchids.com

GARDENING: Orchids aren't as difficult to grow as one might think - ContraCostaTimes.com

"Orchids R Easy," asserted South Bay Orchid Society director Don Goss, in the title of his recent orchid workshop.
URL: http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_16290387?source=most_emailed

GARDENING: Orchids aren't as difficult to grow as one might think - ContraCostaTimes.com

Enjoy,
Steve
1888Orchids.com

I support the American Orchid Society...

I am not a trustee of the American Orchid Society, heck I am not even a member (I have been thinking of becoming one and I encourage everyone else to do the same). But despite all the "troubles" over there, I think the American Orchid Society is great and if any issues come up with regard to data bases or donations, we as the orchid community should support the American Orchid Society, not condemn it or criticize it. I for one hope to become a member this year...


Steve Peralta
1888Orchids.com

Stark Museum presents Orchids in Print - TheRecordLive.Com

ORANGE, Texas, September 29, 2010 - The Stark Museum of Art will feature a gallery spotlight Orchids in Print on Saturday, October 9, at 1:30 p.m. and repeated at 2:15 p.m. Betty Hyatt, a Stark Museum docent, will give a presentation focusing on the life and work of artists who created illustrations for three rare botanical publications depicting exotic orchids from the museum collection. The books are showcased in a highlight exhibit of the same name which will be on view at the Stark Museum of Art from October 2 through October 16, 2010. The gallery spotlight is free to the public.

URL: Stark Museum presents Orchids in Print

Enjoy,
Steve
1888Orchids.com

Has a virus imperiled local varieties? - Kuensel Online

Cymbidium Mosaic 1 October, 2010 - More than 500 species of orchids that grow in the wild in Bhutan are at risk of being infected by a virus called Cymbidium mosaic virus, if what a self taught and trained orchid grower has to say is true.

For the past five months, Khashapa Dukpa has been saying that the hybrid blooming orchids that came into the country for the SAARC summit have brought along one of the most prevalent orchid viruses, which, if not destroyed, could wipe out the country’s entire wild orchid species.
URL:

Has a virus imperiled local varieties? - Kuensel Online

Enjoy,
Steve
1888Orchids.com

CEO Passions: Orchid Cultivation

Civil engineer Chris Rehmann tends to some 1,200 orchids in his backyard greenhouse.

URL:
CEO Passions: Orchid Cultivation

Enjoy,
Steve
1888Orchids.com

Biotechnology needed for orchid industry - SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - VietNamNet

VietNamNet Bridge - More investment in the development of orchid breeding and application of advanced biotechnology could make orchids key to HCM City’s farming growth, given the flower brings a profit 20 times higher than rice.

Enjoy,
URL:

Biotechnology needed for orchid industry - SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - VietNamNet

Orchids are Always in Bloom in Elma

What started out as a few orchid seedlings on an indoor windowsill a few decades ago has grown into a full-time hobby for Joe DiDomenico of Elma. He now has over a thousand orchids of all varieties from all over the world.

URL:http://www.eastaurorany.com/articles/2010/10/04/news/doc4ca408fea9ab0584441774.txt

Steve
1888Orchids.com