Philippine Gardener: orchid

A very close friend who is very much into the horticulture scene in the Philippines and who has been keenly following my posts have asked me why I am posting plants that are grown in other countries as well as gardens that I see in my travels abroad.

He wondered whether I was stepping out of bounds as far as the intent of my blog is concerned, what with the title, Philippine Gardener.

So, before I complete my series on Taiwan phalaenopsis, let me share what I explained to my concerned friend. Just in case someone who would read this blog would be similarly inclined as my friend, this is the reasons why one would find posts on plants grown or gardens in countries outside the Philippines (in addition of course to those that are local grown):

1. Horticulture just like most things nowadays is becoming more and more global. If gardening in our country is to remain vibrant, it must remain economically viable and that means being able to hold our own as against other countries that are recognized as leaders in world horticulture.

2. Beauty knows no national boundaries and benefits from diversity. By always testing the limits, learning from others outside one's comfort zone, integrating new experiences into how one sees the world, one's aesthetic appreciation is deepened.

3. While others may be lost permanently as they pursue a journey outside of what they were born with, those who are able to integrate the new lessons learned from outside to what they started out with become even more appreciative of their origin.

And please excuse the philosophical ramblings.

So here are the last of the phalaenopsis photographs. These will focus on two interesting colors: yellows and reds.

The Yellow Phalaenopsis

Yellows come in the palest to very brightest shade, just like the pinks. They may range in size from the smallest to slightly bigger than medium size.

They may also have other color pigments thrown in for interest as in the case of the pink blush that is present in the petals and sepals of this flower, in addition of course to the dark pink lip also called red lip.

Typical medium sized white or pink but this time in yellow

Light yellow color with partly orange lip

Yellow with pink spots and red-lip

Clear, rich yellow-green with dark maroon red and white lip

Yellow base with red spots and pink lips

Yellow with big red spots

Red Phalaenopsis

While there were a number of beautiful reds that I have seen and photographed, unfortunately, only these two turned out well. This is not to say that these two are not worth much. On the contrary, both are very beautiful.

Just like some of the other colors that are still being developed, the flower sizes, shape and color may further be improved. Also, the number of flowers per spike can stand a lot of improvement especially if this will be compared to the more developed whites and pinks.

Dazzing deep red color

Visually a red but it seems like a yellow with full red spotting to look almost red

Orchid breeders have indeed come a long way.

This is best seen in the case of the fancy colored phalaenopsis. Taiwan is THE leader in this area at this point in time, something that the US have been quite famous for many years ago.

Below are some photos taken from a few shops selling phals in Taiwan. These are basically red- spotted, pink-spotted or striped ones.

Spotted phals can either have a few dainty spots to so many spots that the color almost look like its solid. The spots can either be pink to red to almost maroon. The flowers can be small to large in size and the patterns of spotting can take so many variations.

Red-spotted phalaenopsis

Below is a good example of solid and dispersed spotting on a single flower, and on a miniature plant at that!

This is a spotted large-sized bloom.

(Left) The contrast between the white base and the deep red-violet spot have to be seen to be believed. Though the flowers are only medium-sized and the length of the spike is short compared to most, the color is breathtaking.

A group of uniformly grown, tissue-cultured red-spotted beauties.

This surely is one of the most attractive spotted phals I have seen so far. The flowers are huge, beautifully contrasting red and white, good shape, long spike with lots of flowers.

A plant I would have wanted to bring home, if given the chance.

This is a good example of progressive breeding where the outstanding traits of two plants are brought together through breeding and hopefully transfer these traits to the offsprings.

Obviously a big standard white was crossed with a strongly red-spotted plant and the outcome shows the two characteristics really well.

I was quite surprised with the picture above as the actual plant is very pretty and was one of those that immediately caught my attention given the huge number of plants in bloom.

Unfortunately, it did not register quite well in the photograph. Just like with humans, I must concede that some flowers are more photogenic than others.

To round up the red spotted phals, here is a medium sized bloom that really photographed well,

Pink-spotted phalaenopsis

The quality of spotting in phals have improved over the years. The intensity of color, the evenness of distribution have all been better thanks to the dedication of breeders and fanciers.

Unlike the large whites or even the pinks, what may be improved with these types would be the number of flowers per spike as these do not send out as many. The arrangement of the flowers on the spike may also be improved.

The main reason for this is the characteristic of the original species from which the colors were derived. Whereas whites and pinks would have large flowers on long spikes, the yellows and dark reds and lavenders typically have small flowers and few flowers per spike.

This flower is a definite shoo-in for an award in any show. It has all the qualities of a show winner. The individual flower is large, more than 3.5" with very thick substance, good color and pleasing shape.

The patience of the growers in nurturing these plants in Taiwan which is easily seen from the quality of the roots, leaves and spike, is amazing.

Serious hobbyist could actually equal such care on a limited basis, with only a handful of plants to look after.

With the volume that Taiwan nurseries produce, one cannot help but admire that the quality has not been compromised. Even while the numbers have gone beyond hundreds to the thousands, one can expect, and see, the same outstanding culture and plant quality.

WOW!

The striped phalaenopsis

Striped phalaenopsis are formed when the base color of the flower and the veins would have a contrast in color. The contrast may be in the form of difference in shade (light versus dark) or seemingly two different colors altogether.

There are standard-sized striped phals but the the most interesting to me personally are either the small or the medium sized ones.

One of the best looking I saw during this trip is this medium-sized striped phal. The contrast is so beautifully distributed and the shape is likewise good. The spike is also branching resulting to potentially more flowers for each spike.

There are also those with more subtle striping, low key and understated.