Quarter Acre Orchids

09/29/2023

In the greenhouse today… smells like roses.

09/14/2023

Fort Motte hybrid blooming today. Not fragrant (yet) and not very spotted. Gorgeous and prolific none the less.

09/10/2023

In addition to growing orchids, I grow quite a few succulents too. But I can never find rustic and interesting pots for them.. and a good looking succulent deserves an interesting pot. So like all crafters I decided I’d simply make them myself! Here is my first pot out of the kiln… it’s been … geeze….38 years since I’ve played with clay but so far I’m really enjoying it again. Stay tuned for more pots!

07/27/2023

It’s hard not to appreciate the brilliance of this lip in the sunshine! This one is tucked on a shelf under a low hanging tree and I might not have even noticed it, but for the brilliant flash of hot pink.

05/21/2023

One tiny bloom filled my entire greenhouse with the fragrance of movie popcorn. Maxillaria tenuifolia.

04/21/2023

Did you know we now carry 42 different sizes of clear orchid pots and baskets in 21 different styles, from 1.5” up to 10” in size. 42!! Can you believe it? And we have 8 new sizes in 2 styles coming in within the next month. If you need a clear pot for your orchids, tropicals or succulents, I’m pretty sure we’ve got what you need.

04/05/2023

This poor little phal fell behind a bench and I didn’t notice until it was quite “ill”. But orchids really like to live… as pathetic as it looks it’s making great progress with not only a new leaf but a new spike coming too! I’m so happy it decided to live despite my negligence.

03/20/2023

Unnamed Phal.. this was a last minute Covid rescue from my office before we shut down. I’m glad I grabbed it on my way out the door! It’s in a mesh pot with Sphagnum and #4 sponge rock.

03/19/2023

Made a new mix today and I’m going to try this struggling phal in it. Well… the plant is struggling… not the roots.. they are fab! Mix is moisture retentive yet airy. If it does well I’ll put it in my shop for you too!

02/21/2023

Early jewel orchids on the Tuscarora trail at the Virginia/West Virginia border today. Things are starting to sprout and bloom, despite being so early in the year.

11/14/2022

Cattleya Portia with four spikes in a 14” bucket. It often blooms in October… j guess the warm weather has it confused as well.. it’s wonderfully bright and lightly fragrant. Enjoy!

08/21/2022

Lc. Green Veil “Dressy”…a newly reacquired plant to replace one long ago lost to the greenhouse. Chartreuse is one of my favorite colors, and this little beauty does not disappoint in that department. Enjoy!

08/15/2022

No tag! This is the cattleya that was in ft bud last week.. it opened over the weekend to this beauty. I’m pretty sure it’s a Fort Motte hybrid. And it smells absolutely divine today!

08/15/2022

I was down to my very last bag of fine fit bark. Phew! This should see me through for a little while.

08/14/2022

Not an orchid, but one of my favorite plants.. Dorstenia foetida. The flowers (this is the flower) are so funky and alien. This plant is maybe six or seven years old and just starting to branch. I grow it in my east facing kitchen window in an incredibly well draining rocky potting mix. It’s such an easy grower and bloomer and it makes me smile.

08/14/2022

Such a tease! I was sure they’d be wide open but not yet! And I cannot find a tag in the pot, which is a bummer. I’m pretty sure this is a Forte Mott hybrid.

08/10/2022

Sometimes in anticipation of the flower we forget the beauty of the buds. I suspect that when I visit the greenhouse today these will be flowers, but in the mean time enjoy!

07/22/2022

I repotted this plant just a few weeks ago and it has now graced me with flowers.. I love this orchid.. such a faithful bloomer and doesn’t mind the excessive heat of my greenhouse. Encyclia cochleata’Arroyo del Bosque’. A division from 2016.

07/21/2022

I decided this Cattleya orchid bloom was just too gorgeous not to share! So here it is in a weather resistant die-cut vinyl sticker. Perfect for embellishing your laptop, thermal mugs, water bottle and even your car! Any flat surface is fair game. Available now in my shop and ready to ship!

07/14/2022

Another spotted Cattleya opened its blooms today.. this one is Cattleya bicolor ‘Mendenhall Beta’ x sib. Another beauty! I need to check my other spotty guys and see what else is happening!

07/13/2022

Just opened today.. cattleya bicolor “lines x beta” crossed with cattleya aclandia. What a beauty! I just repotted it a week or so ago in Orchiata #5, so it’s probably super happy! No fragrance yet.. I’ll check again tomorrow.

Orchiata is available in several sizes in my online shop quarteracreorchids.com

07/10/2022

Not an orchid, but I had the pleasure of being able to get up close and personal to this Amorphophallus titanum flower grown by a friend of mine. He’s had it for 10 years and this is the first time it’s flowered. Unfortunately it’s not self pollinating. But what a spectacular treat.

07/07/2022

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www.quarteracreorchids.com

07/07/2022

Messing with a new app I just got that will turn a photo into a watercolor. I wish I was talented enough to paint like this myself! This is Phal. Everspring Prince. It’s a medium size plant with a fairly short spike and 5 or 6 blooms. Nice for those with limited space for growing.

06/18/2022

This Phal Everspring Prince was a Covid rescue that I grabbed from my office when I suspected that we were going to be told to stay home “for a few weeks”.. it was desperate for a repotting. And Phals are one of the orchids that I won’t hesitate to repot mid bloom.. they don’t seem to mind at all.. in fact it’s sometimes the best thing to do! Blooming takes a lot of effort for the plant so why not make it as healthy as possible? I potted it in my newly mixed medium coconut husk mix, which is now available in my shop (quarteracreorchid.com). It’s looking pretty happy now.

06/13/2022

I’m super old school when it comes to preparing coconut husk chips for my mix. Most of it is processed in sea water so super salty, which orchid roots despise.. so I soak and drain several times and then spread it out on the driveway to dry in the sun. Fresh mix should be available a little later this week!

06/09/2022

New in the shop! Ultrasonic mist maker, fogger, atomizer… whatever you want to call it! These are great to place near your growing area to add humidity and to let the fog waft over your plants. Without a float you need to put them in a shallow dish and keep water covering their sensor. They also splash quit a bit so they need to be on something that can get wet. I have float/splash guards coming … maybe next week, that will help with these issues. Also great for a Halloween effect! Check them out!

06/08/2022

Most likely an Encyclia cordigera or hybrid.. the tag is long gone and she’s in a ratty old vanda basket with most of her growing parts free hanging well below the basket. But she’s happy and blooms for me several times a year.

06/05/2022

06/05/2022

05/27/2022

A new arrival in the shop is this clear mesh 5.5” orchid pot. I bought it just seeing a picture, but I’m so pleased with the quality. It’s very sturdy and perfect for repotting Phals in sphagnum moss. This poor little phal was an office rescue that was in desperate need of repotting.. it’s so happy now!

05/10/2022

We’ve finally moved! This has been a long time coming but we finally upgraded our website. Stop by and check it out.. sign up for our newsletter, and let me know what you think!

www.quarteracreorchids.com

04/28/2022

Found this beauty in the greenhouse today!

02/26/2022

Clay pellets, hydroton, aliflor… whatever you call these they are a great addition to your orchid potting collection. They can be used alone, or mixed in with traditional orchid mixes to add moisture retention and air flow! How do they do both? The clay absorbs water and slowly releases it, and the round shape means the pellets can’t lump together and there is always a bit of space (and therefore air) between them! Available by the gallon in my shop (quarteracreorchids.com)

02/14/2022

Would a basket like this be of interest to orchid growers? It’s 11” across and sits on little feet. Let me know what you think!!

01/22/2022

Check out these big beauties I just added to my shop inventory! 10” wide on top, 7” wide on the bottom and 7.5” tall. Now you can repot your biggest orchids and still see what’s going on.

08/19/2021

In the greenhouse… need to get up on a ladder to see the tag though..

08/19/2021

06/04/2021

Restocked a number of pots on my website today and introduced two new ones! A 6” short pot and a 6” extra tall pot! I haven’t been able to restock my favorite 5.5” azalea pot as they are unavailable, so the 6” short is going to be the substitute. Check them out and restock your own supply.

05/24/2021

Another ancient orchid in my collection.. This from a dear old friend Yvona. Dendribium densiflorum. Two spikes this year.