It really *is* fragrant!!!

Someone had posted recently asking about this species Phal and whether
they were fragrant. I answered that I didn't think so based on my own
plant. Its 4 blooms opened the last week of January and I had never
noticed any fragrance from it no matter when I smelled it. Well,
that's all changed! Today, I had some of my plants out on the deck to
be watered and get some fresh air. As I was picking up my big shill to
bring it back inside, a bloom brushed past my face and... WOW! It
definitely *does* have fragrance. You have to have an excellent sense
of smell, but I got a definite hint. So I took a good, deep whiff. The
fragrance is akin to that of a rose: very delicate and mild, but
definitely a rose-type scent. Each bloom had this fragrance, though
curiously, some had a bit stronger scent than the others. This all
happened today, at approximately 4:30 PM EDT.

Okay... So I know that many orchids (and other plants as well) are
only fragrant during certain times of the day or night. But I'm a bit
confused by my plant and why I'm only just smelling the fragrance now.
Do blooms and their fragrance have to "mature" somehow before you can
detect them. And if this is so, could it really take this long to do
that? I mean, I've been enjoying these blooms for about 2.5 months now
and never even a hint of fragrance before today.

Whatever's going on, I'll take it. This is one awesome plant; just as
pretty out of bloom as in. I'm definitely doin' the happy dance!

* * * * *
Karen C.
Southern CT / USDA Zone 6
Spammers be damned! I can't be emailed from this account...

"Gardeners know all the best dirt!"