Good point

Shell


"Al" wrote in message
...
Many people look passed the variety in any given genus that is possible.
With regard to collecting, they mentally group like kind and dismiss
subtle
differences. Fortunately a long time ago, by employing immense
diversification of form, orchids as a family outsmarted many people and
paved the way for addiction by uniqueness. If 'people' as a group also
included some individuals who had wings and some who had hooves and tails
then nobody would notice skin color or eye shape as unique and different.

The new orchid grower, after they get one or two "standard" Phals goes
hunting for something "new" and they look not for another Phal that has
different characteristics but for something that is not a Phal.

New and experienced orchid growers alike tend to group according to
general
form and, unless they specialize, tend to collect small numbers of like
kind
from across a zillion different genuses.

The orchids have already won weather a collector specializes in one genus
and marvels in the subtlties or collects from across a wide range of
genuses
and marvels at the uniqueness. They have tricked us into giving them
whole
rooms of our homes just by growing warts and hairs in odd places.

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
Part of me feels like I ought to defend long-lasting Phals: I find their
enduring beauty somewhat surreal and awe-inspiring. And I feel guilty
over
not being appreciative enough of my Phal Zuma Confection that bloomed
for
five months, most of it without changing. But alas, I too prefered
activity.
However, even among Phals and Dtps some are more active than others: I
really appreciate sequential bloomers. My very favorite a semi-peloric
Dtps
Talitha Gem has been blooming for four months, but it looks completely
different now than it did to begin with! At first it had a spike going
straight up with up to 15 flowers at once. Then its older flowers
started
falling off as new ones opened, and its like a clump of flowers moving
steadily further toward the window ... up the spike, then down (as the
spike
curved under its own weight), now up again. I keep counting and
recounting
how many flowers it lost, how many are currently in bloom and how many
new
buds are forming ... no, it's not done yet forming new buds, it's up to
a
total of 20 former flowers, 7 currently in bloom, and at least 6 buds
remaining, and about 4 feet of spike. I have not had a boring week with
this
plant. :-)

So even a Phal or Dtps can be very exiting.

Joanna

"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
news:1YQwb.21905
As for longevity, my Phals provide a long lasting background for more
transient flowers. Recently, I cut off two or three old, but still
blooming
spikes on Phals because the plants were throwing off new spikes and
needed
a
bit of a rest.

Bottom line: I think we are fickle, us orchid growers. There must be
people who grow only certain types of orchids, but I imagine that most
of
us
like variety. And, we're suckers for something new!