Taiwan's Gems: Phalaenopsis Orchids, Part 2

The phalaenopsis is called "mariposa" or butterfly orchid in the Philippines.   As a country, the Philippines is home to the most number  of the species of this type of orchid. Most of the species with large flowers are white while those with pink flowers either have mostly small or medium-sized blooms.  Among those with the biggest pink flowers is phalaenopsis schelliriana popularly known as "tiger orchid" in Manila due to the spotted or banded leaves.  Others like phalaenopsis equestris have small flowers.

Due to the persistence of breeders, not only did the flowers become bigger, almost rivaling the large whites in size but the color has also become more intense, called "hot pink" by orchid fanciers.

Taiwan has all shades and sizes - from the biggest flowers with the darkest tone to the smallest with the most delicate shade.

Most of these pink phals started out to be inferior to the large whites in terms of size.  However, the best ones are almost equal to the whites in terms of floriferousness and size.  The picture on the left shows a spike of pink phalaenopsis that other than the color may be mistaken for a large white.

This impressive spike length comes from the age and health of the plant.  The maturity of the plant and the quality of care it has been given will be reflected in the length of the flower spike.

The picture on the right are of spikes from young plants.  By the next flowering, these could very well be as long as the one on the left.

Since these plants are clones, they look exactly alike with the only difference being in the number of flowers in a spike.  Some keen observers and growers note however that with superior culture, the flower quality in terms of size and substance can still improve.

These type of orchids like filtered light and good air circulation. While they like high humidity, they simply could not stand areas with little or no air circulation and will easily succumb to all kinds of diseases.

The species are found on branches and trunks of trees where they are receiving dappled sunlight.  Very few can survive full sun exposure without being burned.

Size difference is easy to perceive but substance has to be assessed mostly by touch to be appreciated. It may take someone with a little bit of knowledge to point out the difference initially but once one gets the hang of it, it becomes quite easy to see the differences.

To the left is a picture of first-time bloomers.  Note the relative shortness of the flower spike with six to eight flowers and buds per spike.  More mature plants like the ones on the right,  will have about ten flowers per spike while those that are older will have 14  or more flowers

The pink phalaenopsis come in different shades.  The clone above is pale/pastel pink and is almost like a debutante, oozing sweetness and innocence.

The one below provides contrast between the dark pink petals and sepals and the white lip and middle portion of the flower. These plants are first bloomers as evidenced by the short spike and fewer flowers.

Here again (right and below) is contrast in another form.
This variety features a pale pink base suffused with a darker pink in the center with the lip showing a distinct yellow for a three way color  combination.

Yet another variant is the pink with splash-like pattern on the petals and sepals making for a most interesting bloom. Both the pictures on the right and below show this pattern contrasting only in terms of the darkness of the pink base color.

All these flowers are first-time bloomers so it would be really beautiful to see these plants flowering at a more mature stage.

Phalaenopsis has emerged as the most cultivated orchid primarily due to its ability to keep its bloom for a long period of time, the ease with which it may be kept indoors in the western home which is cool and dry, and the ease of inducing the plant to flower in the commercial nursery.

Like a lot of orchids, the phals will flower if it experiences a temperature drop between day and evening temperatures.  This condition is easily created in commercial greenhouses which have airconditioning or cooling systems.  Thus this orchid is available all year round.

Miniatures are also very interesting as far as phals are concerned.  From very light to very dark pink shades, from a single display to a grouping of equally beautiful dwarf plants, only one word could properly describe this type of phals:  beautiful!

Above is a mass display of miniature pink phals while below shows plants with blooms that are almost pink lavender in color. Notice the beautifully rounded and branching spikes.

The blushing phals to the right has a very sweet color combination reminiscent of semi-alba (white with red or lavender lip).  The miniature variety makes for a very handy gift or houseplant.  It takes up a very small space and will look perfect in a spot where a normal-sized phals will look cramped.  It may also be mixed with its bigger relative to provide contrast.

The one below is another multi-plant display showcasing a group of very healthy and showy pink phalaenopis. The plants are quite small, but the flowers are already giving a most spectacular show.

And yet another group shot,

Taiwan's Gems: Phalaenopsis Orchids, Part 1

Visiting Taiwan without noticing a single phalaenopsis in bloom is very very unlikely.  Phals are everywhere:  malls, shops, offices, banks, stores, homes, etc.  And the good thing is, the prices are very affordable and the quality extremely high.

Taiwan IS the mother lode of phalaenopsis production.  It is said that more than 50% of all the phalaenopsis traded worldwide came from this country.  For us filipinos, this is not such a good situation considering that our country is high on the list of the sources of genetic materials that were used to produce these extremely beautiful blooms from which Taiwan is making tons of dollars now.

There are so many photographs that I will be posting them as a series again.  I have tried to group the photos by flower size and color so as to put a system. Due to advancements in breeding sometimes the line gets a bit confused but since I am not putting in the registered names (the sellers could not understand me and there are no labels anyway) I hope that you can just enjoy the beauty of the flowers and not be too fuzzy with the names.

These photos were taken of plants displayed in the stalls in the Holiday Market and at an orchid shop in a small (not more than 1,000 sq.m. total area) complex made up of a number of small plant shops.  A lot of these plants are so well grown and the flowers are award quality.  I will not be surprised if I am informed that these are clones of awarded plants.

So let us start with the basics, white flowers, large to small -

The white beauty to the right is more than two feet long and the flowers are almost saucer sized.  One cannot help but admire the care that was given to this plant, clearly visible from the quality of the leaves to the damage free condition of the spike of flowers. Transporting plants with such long spikes will require considerable attention to details as a single wrong move would easily bruise the flowers.


At the left photo, we have the same spike on the right side with a shorter spike for comparison.

In ordinary competitions in Manila, the one to the left would already be considered for an award while the one on the right will be a strong contender for best phalaenopsis in show or even best orchid in show.

In Taiwan however, the competition is much tougher and past winners have been a meter long with excellent flower quality to boot.

Awed as I am with the large  white phals, I found the white miniatures quite intriguing.  These are crosses of the white form of phalaenopsis equestris which is native to the Philippines.  While the flowers are small, there are numerous flowers on a branching spike.


The first white miniature that I saw in the weekend market was a real charmer but I had very little time  then so the colored ones got the most of my attention.  However, in the garden compound where I had more time on my hands, I found myself going back to a group of white miniatures pictured right.

These were arranged in a ceramic pot ready to be given away as a gift.  The plants were sufficiently spaced which showcased each flower spike quite well.

On closer inspection, the flowers were not pure white but has a very slight tinge of pink which gave them a more delicate air, as may be seen in the close-up photo to the left.

Due to the complex breedings being done, sometimes very interesting results are obtained.  Below is the flower of a miniature plant, judging from the leaf/plant size but with flowers that are more on the medium size (about 2.5 inches wide).  In a short while I am sure there will be miniature plants with standard large flowers!










Next post, we will have the pinks.

Taiwan Trip - Part 4, " The Philippine Exhibit"

In the few days that I was in Taipei, the Philippine Exhibit has been progressing very nicely.  Below are the pictures that will give an idea of the progress that has been made in a span of 5 days.

Day 1, October 9

Baby and Tata with the Exhibit at the back, taken the afternoon we arrived at the  site

Day 2, October 10

The second level of the tower is being built.  The wings are also done

A top view of the structure

Day 3, October 11

Second level almost halfway done

Baby and Cyrus discussing some construction details

Day 4, October12

From left to right: Vicente our very helpful guide, me, Baby and Tata

Baby and Tata with the entrance that Tata is painting

A night shot of the bell tower, front view

Side view of the tower, night shot

Day 5, October13, Last Day

These are the last shots I took of the exhibit the morning we are about to leave Taipei.  Not much to look at but I am pretty sure it will be a sight come opening day.

Left side view

Full front view

Another front shot

Main entrance

Tower, up close

The walls, up close;  the white rectangular spaces will be where the pictures will be mounted

Taiwan Trip - Part 3, " The Other Exhibits"

Here are some of the other country exhibits that are being constructed while I was there (Incidentally, I just got back from Taipei last night.  I had to tie up a lot of loose ends and was not able to post the updates sooner).

The Thailand exhibit has all the typical Thai elements.  It includes a Thai house, a long boat, a dancer (which at this point is still being built) and a huge elephant as shown in the picture. As it appears right now, this exhibit looks busy with so many elements present.  The plant materials tend to be a bit too varied.  I can just imagine that this will be full of orchids once its done.

The exhibit being mounted for Hongkong is a promotional come-on of their waterpark.  It features many vertical garden elements from the backdrop made from grass or turf to several vertical towers made from selected ground cover plants.

The focal point of this exhibit would be the three dolphins made up from plants that seem to float on top of fountains.  One naughty bystander could not help but comment that the dolphins seem to be pissing.

I am not quite sure whether this is the Bhutan or the Cambodia exhibit as I have not gotten hold of the overall exhibit map but I could not help but admire the detailed craftsmanship that the workers are putting into the structure that makes for this exhibit's main attraction. 

One of the most impressive exhibits in this expo is that of the United States.  The outline is similar to that of a cicada or that of the approach to a wooden bridge. Laid out on an area about thrice that of the typical exhibit with huge boulders and full-grown trees for accent, this exhibit will be one of the strongest contenders in the landscape competition.

The Singapore exhibit is a simply laid out set-up with very strong geometric lines as may be seen in a picture (top view) of the exhibit before any plants have been planted.

The picture below taken a few days later shows the space already being planted with the trees and shrubs.  Initially, we were thinking that this will be full of sun-loving orchids from Singapore.  We later heard that the plants that will be used will be mostly Taiwan-grown so orchids would be out of the question.

Oman is also exhibiting.  The exhibit has a typical Omani structure, lots of tall coconut palms and a pond with huge coral stones.

The last picture is that of another yet unidentified exhibit.  This one is quite modern featuring a sculpture made of stainless steel that sits on a pond.  Most likely, this one will feature both fountains and lights.

  

Taiwan Trip - Part 2, " The Holiday Plant Market"

Its day 3 for me here in Taipei and I somehow feel uneasy as I cannot be as productive as I would want to be.  As a garden designer, I have been looking forward to being part of the team that will do the Philippine Exhibit from the planning stage all the way to the clean-up stage just before judging and opening.  Unfortunately, while I could contribute to the planning and the initial construction stages, I will have to leave the finishing touches to my other friends and collegues as I had to go to Surabaya, Indonesia not for plants but for my other love, dobermans.

Of course, while there, I will take the opportunity to immerse myself in the horticultural richness that is Indonesia.  Most people may already know that Indonesia, like the Philippines is a hotspot for plant diversity.  However, as most avid gardeners and collectors may know, it has transformed itself into a new horticultural juggernaut during the past few years as its plant collectors have been snapping off the best plants, regardless of price tags, from the foremost plant collections all over the world. This will be my first trip to Indonesia and excited as I am, I will surely miss doing the finishing touches on the Philippine Exhibit.

Jianguo Holiday Flower Market: A plant market under an elevated highway

Its a slow day today so I thought it best to write about one of the high points of this trip, a visit to the weekend plant market.  This plant market is very similar to the plant markets in Thailand (Chatuchak) and our very own Sunday Tiangge at the Lung Center.

It has been said that the Taiwanese always find ways of putting the little that they have to the best of use.  Well, this plant market says a lot about this wonderful trait that in so many areas has made it possible for them to have a lot.  What a great idea to put this idle space to good use. Not only does it support the horticulture industry but it also adds to the city landscape an oasis that people would want to visit during weekends.

Filipinos in the horticulture industry can learn a lot from observing this market at work.

We had an early breakfast and boarded a taxi that took us directly to the Juanguo Holiday Flower Market.  Opened only on weekends, this market situated under an elevated highway runs for a few kilometers with two lines of shops facing each other.  It could not possibly compare to Bangkok's Chatuchak in terms of size and variety but  it has its own charm and its array of green collectibles.

The main entry point to the market is impressive enough with the main posts of the elevated highway converted to healthy vertical gardens. Incidentally, vertical gardening seems to be a big thing in Taipei with the government playing a major role in its promotion.

This planting on the left is made up of coleus on top, zyngoniums in the middle (the purplish pink plants) and ferns at the bottom. (I will be doing a separate post on this in the next few days) The planting style is quite typical of the vertical gardens I have seen so far and judging from the development of the plants, this set-up could be about 3 to 6 months old at least.

Annual plugs already flowering

Flowering annuals in plugs greet us.  Impatiens, wax begonias, salvias, cupheas, crossandras all waiting to be transplanted to bigger pots seem to call from their cramped plugs.  "Buy me, buy me!!!!"

The last time I have seen annuals in this condition was during my trips to California which would entail almost daily trip to Lowe's or Home Depot just to appreciate the flowering annuals which are on sale.

Best looking bongainvilleas

There are some outstanding plants on sale in this market.  But I was so pleasantly surprised to see some of the best grown and flowered bongainvilleas I have seen here.  The varieties are not new but the way the plants have been grown and flowered towards the cooler and darker months says a lot about the skill of the people growing them.

There are some vendors offering water plants.  Not as many as one would find in Bangkok.  Mostly water lilies, aquarium plants, surprisingly I did not see any nelumbo or lotus.

What they lack in quantity is made up for by some very interesting water lilies being offered.

Generally, the water lilies are very healthy and well-fed which of course is necessary if one is to have continuously large blooms. They have the typical pinks, some very dark blues and rich yellows and some really lovely ORANGE ones!

I really wanted to have a picture taken of the orange flowers as I know I could not take the plant home so at least I would have pictures but the vendor would not allow for photos to be taken.  Tough luck.  I hope I can see and picture them again either in Indonesia or Bangkok soon.

The vendors also has a very good way of displaying their waterplants. Placed in small basins and other plastic containers, the plants have undamaged leaves and washed really well to the point that the water where they float is kept as clean as possible.  This is something that most vendors of waterplants in other countries normally take for granted.

Giant hibiscus

One plant that got my attention is a hibiscus rosa-sinensis which I suspect to be a discobelle cultivar.  Not only is the color so sweetly delicate with its pink tone softly melting to white but the dinner plate size makes it doubly impressive.  My friend Tata placed his cigarette pack at the bottom of the pot for comparison.

Just like at the Lung Center, this market also features sprouts ready for juice extraction.  This market offers more varieties though.  While we can only get wheat grass sprouts at the Lung Center, here you can take your pick from alfalfa sprouts, mungbeans sprouts, soybean sprouts, etc., in addition to the usual wheat grass.

I would have wanted to know what the purple seedlings are but in this market, it is very difficult to communicate with the vendors as almost all cannot speak English.  A real disadvantage for non-chinese speaking visitors like me.

In addition to the various plants, there are also all kinds of garden supplies  and plants being offered for sale. Pots, fertilizers, tools, seeds.  There are also fresh produce like fruits and some vegetables.  There is no cooked food section or a wet market like the Lung Center though.

Of course, the main event for this market will have to be the orchids on display.  For that, I will reserve a separate post.