The accompanying photograph shows a pan of Pleione ‘Tolima’. Over the years 1997 - 99 my collection of Pleiones appeared to be in trouble. The pseudobulbs were dwindling both in size and numbers, and several pans disappeared completely. It was quite clear that they were infested with Brevipalpus.

In disgust, I put the remaining pans out in the garden in the summer of 1999 and there they remained, totally ignored. They endured the autumn and winter rains of 1999 and in the spring of 2000 they produced some flowers and in due course leaves and new pseudobulbs. The pans dried out when the weather was dry and became sodden when it was wet. They remained out in all weathers in the winter of 2000/2001.

In the week between Christmas and New Year the temperature never rose above 0⁰C and subsequently the night temperatures dropped to -9⁰C on several occasions. The pseudobulbs appear to be healthy and the pseudobulbils from last year’s growth are being planted up and hope has arisen afresh.

Other Pleiones subjected to this treatment were Pleione ‘Rakata’, Pleione ‘Marco Polo’, Pleione ‘Oriental Splendour’, Pleione ‘Shantung’. Pans with pseudobulbils were treated in the same way at that time, but had the protection of a hedge for the first winter. They produced pseudobulbils last year and most of the pans have now produced pseudobulbs which are either in flower at the time of writing or are just about to do so.

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