In message , Des Higgins
writes

"WaltA" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:57:21 +0100, Sacha wrote:

I think weather conditions must make a big difference to whether these
orchids flower or not. Same with the fields full of mushrooms that
sometimes occur and often don't!

Yes,
we used to have lots of shaggycap and puffballs here, not seen any for
three years, and I dont use any *cides neiver

You're so lucky to have it there, though

Yes, it is a treasure.

and it might be worth marking the precise spot with a cane just so you can
leave it un-mown next year!

Yep, three markers in a triangle already there nearby, to avoid it
being trampled on by any shortcutting postmen or absentminded
half-blind mowers !
We also mark the pyramid orchids for same reason (but I begin to
suspect that the rabbits have me sussed already and are treating the
sticks as BigMac signposts !! )

There are seven seed pods on it, one wonders about harvesting (later)
two or so of them for transport to more protected location ???



From what I can remember, most UK orchids take 3-10 years to flower and then
die so once you see the flowers, those particular plants will not come back.
Most of them do have recognisable leaves but you have to look carefully, to
spot the pre-flowering ones, in order to pamper them. It sounds like you
are already doing well in encouraging pyramidal orchids so, at a wild guess,
just keep doing what you are doing :-). Just leave them to it would be my
guess.
When they do set seed, they produce vast quantities of very very minutes
seeds which take ages to germinate and develop and require very precise
conditions and availability of mycorrhizal fungi so they are notoriously
difficult to grow like conventional plants even though some of the march
orchids (Dactylorrhiza spp.) do seem to be used in borders and even look
very spectacular.

We found a Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) in our lawn last
summer, waited until had finished flowering, dug it up and put it in a
pot for a while before replanting it a newly created area of wildflower
plants in the early spring and it has produced a really splendid flower
spike as can be seen at http://www.pbase.com/rbel1/image/82448413/large

A neighbour who is about to move and has a wonderfully neglected garden
invited us to take any wildflower plants we wanted and we found, amongst
other things, a Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) in her lawn
which has now been 'rescued'. This is an unexpected orchid as we are
not on calcareous soil and, as far as I am aware, it is not that common
in the south west.

--
Robert