P.S.: Went back to the show yesterday. The show area was wonderful. I wish I
had not forgotten to take my camera. Then I thought I had the strength of
will to just show my husband (who this time came along) the sales tent
without buying any more orchids. Well, I now also have a phal schilleriana
'Pink Butterfly', which has been on my wish list for like for ever. It's
still a very small plant, but hopefully it will bloom for the first time in
the spring or so.
Joanna

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news:Hs1ad.3812$gd1.3680@trnddc08...
So I went to the NCOS orchid show (in Washington DC) today and had a
marvelous time. I hope to return there on Monday, but then I plan to focus
primarily on the exhibits, whereas today I just shopped. I bought the
following:

Phal Mystik Isles '311' (Zuma Zip x Pink Mystik) -- a gorgeous branched
small to medium sized Phal with the sepals mostly white with light pink
veins, and petals mostly pink due to dense pink stripes, and a pink lip.

Paph Amelia Hart 'Alexandria' -- my fourth Phaph, and the first sequential
Paph that I got; I have sequential Phals and really enjoy their progress.
It's got one bloom and two buds. The vendor told me that this kind might
even have up to twelve flowers in sequence. This plant is potted in this
weird perlite mixture that looks like soil but isn't. I am thinking of
keeping it in this for now, and see how it goes, but I will keep observing
it and repot into a more familiar medium if needed.

Lc Tokyo Magic 'Hihimanu' x Slc. Fire Fantasy 'Hihimanu' -- my first Lc or
first cattleya like orchid ever. I am all excited. I hope it won't grow to
be too big for under lights culture, but the vendor thought that it would
be
ok. It's not in bloom (they had a sample one in bloom), but it's got one
bud
in sheath and another sheath that's just starting. It's supposed to have a
fragrance, and the sample plant looked really nice, though it is not a
mericlone and thus the vendor warned me that this one may not look like
the
sample plant after all, but I decided to risk it.

Oh, and I got one Phal at Brennan Orchids. It doesn't have a tag right now
(maybe it got lost at the show or in my car?). It's got big white flowers
with pink dots on them and a bit of a flare on the edge of the petals. I
bought this plant for my friend Sally as a birthday present. She's got
this
beautiful huge whole-wall South-East window that's slightly shaded by
trees,
and that looks to me like a good place to grow orchids. And she is an
artist
who greatly enjoys nature in her life and art. I am especially glad that
Brennan Orchids sells Phals in moss, since I really know how to determine
how to water in moss and I can explain this to Sally. Maybe I will help
bring about another orchid addict? :-)

Oh, and I got more potting supplies. I don't really know why I got these
shudder. I am a menace.

Joanna