Friday Orchid Blogging

Been a while. I've been taking a respite from the orchids, cut back on my stock a bit so I could focus on the ones I really like. And this is one that I really like. It's a Blc. Chia Lin 'New City' AM/AOS. It's a cattleya-type orchid, and it's the first time I've ever been able to get a catt to bloom. The picture doesn't do it justice - the color is a deep royal purple that practically glows. Catts need a ton of sunlight, and even then I worry about rotting their roots. I'm growing this one, like most of my orchids now, in an inert medium made up of lava rock and baked clay pellets. That way is always stays moist, but not wet, and it seems to be doing well. Maybe next year I'll have several blossoms at once, that will be a real show. Enjoy.