Pleione early 2009.

[Maxime_P]

So many beautiful Pleione pictures !!!

I'm almost dead ... because of envy !  ( why is this a sin ??    )

Pleione Captain Hook is so ... gorgeous !

I enjoyed your photos, Maxime, thank you!

 P.S. Hope you had a good birthday yesterday, Maxime! Many Happy Returns of the Day!

You are welcome 
Oh yes, it was a nice day !  The chocolate cake was delicious ! 

Hi Maxime,
   regarding the difference between Vesuvius forms, I posted a few photos of my favourite (V.Ember) on the
'Pans of Pleiones' thread before Christmas. (That thread is now on the second page of subjects)

Those photos are bigger,.... sorry!!!

Tim DH

Nice Grex indeed, the way colors are limited is charming and the yellow is rather bright in comparison with other Vesuvius !

Maxime

My intension was not to criticise and I also enjoyed your photos and hope to see more in the weeks to come.

Peter.

Don't worry !!!! I'm not that touchy ! I meant I just did not do any effort to take nice pics even though I knew I was going to share them on the web



Pleione scopulorum is opening, is it the usual flowering season for this specie ?? Should I put it in a colder place on the next year ?
I let it start growing in mid-march, is that too early ?

[Tim Harberd]

Hi Mark,
   Nice to see someones Else's Captain Hook. I'm also a fan of this hybrid, I find it very reliable.
How big is yours?
Mine is normally a bit small (around 80mm) tho' since it regularly puts up a dozen or more flowers in a 14cm pan I don't mind.
Its main fault, as far as I'm concerned, is that new roots regularly push out freshly planted bulbs, knocking over flowering spikes in the process.

Tim DH

[Tim Harberd]

Hi Folks,
     The Chesterfield Show was great fun, even tho' my little pot of Shantung 'Muriel Harberd' suffered the humiliation of a third prize in a class with only two entries!!!
Alpine Shows are a good testing ground, for growers, for plants and for ideas.
   
   Here is a photo of my Edgecombe, sandwiched between a yunnanensis and a Brittania. The Edgecombe took second prize.

   Here also is a photo of the first prize in the class 'One pan rock plant native to China'. (My x confusa was an 'also ran' in this class.)
      You have to admire the skill in growing the stock and in preparing a pan for show like this. But am I alone in not actually liking the overall effect achieved?

   
Tim DH

[Maggi Young]

There has been a tendency with peione and with bulbs in general that judges like to see large potfuls... seemingly in an attempt to "prove" that the exhibitor  has grown them for a number of years and not just splashed some cash on three or five for a potfull   
All nonsense of course,as so many prejudices are 

You will see in the report of the Edinburgh show and I repeat a pic here, of a HUGE  ( a 40cm or 45cm pan) of Pleione 'Shantung Ducat' .... yes, all grown well, looking healthy, but can one actually appreciate the beauty of the flowers? I don't think so and I tend to feel that about all pots of overstuffed bulbs as well. It turns into a case of biggest is best and I would like to appreciate the glory of the plant as aopposed to sheer quantity. It is something we strove for when we exhibited.... trying to balance the judges' wishes with an aesthetic approach ..... not an easy task!
From the Edinburgh show.... an exhibit from master grower Cyril Lafong which has been nicknamed Pleione Shantung Bucket 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Congratulations with the prizes anyway Tim !  Well deserved.
Your P. edgecombe is a beauty !

I do agree with what Maggi and you state. 
Obviously it takes a lot of skill (and time) to grow a potful of just about any Pleione, but personally I'm not in favour of these potfuls of Pleione with pseudobulbs crammed in the pot against one another and flowers so crowded that they almost cannot develop properly.
On the other hand there's also something to say for the view of the judges trying not to reward the "capitalist"  buying in and potting up 4 or 5 bulbs and take them to the show a month later...

So far, I've limited myself to 7 bulbs in an approx. 20 cm (I've never measured them) pan.  This year though, under the influence of seeing these crowded pots on shows and here, I've crammed 11 pseudobulbs of Asama in such a pot - they're opening now, but I don't think I'll be happy with the result. 

I think I'll stick to 7 again next year.

[Maggi Young]

Both the SRGC and AGS  have rules that any exhibit must have been the property of and grown by, the exhibitor for at least six months before the show .... to allow ample time for the unskilled to kill any purchase!!  
 ( This , of course, raises the question about any exhibit of a fast maturing monocarpic exhibit!!   )

As many of you will know, my better half ( good grief, did I really write that?) ....my other half, Ian Young, regularly says to plant bulbs closely together and to pack them well in to a pot.... a contradiction with my words, do I hear you say? Well, no, not really, there is a difference between growing bulbs which seem to actively "enjoy" the company of others ... and  display that by doing better when grown close , and growing so many in a pot that you can't see any one flower clearly.  If one is very restricted in space then the fact that so many bulbs do well in close proximity to others is a distinct advantage .... but Ian also states that a similar effect can be acheived by using surrogate bulbs in the form of polystyrene ( stryofoam) peanut shapes to surround the real bulbs.... sounds crazy but it really works!!    That being said... some application of artistic thought to the presentation of ANY exhibit is a good idea..... flowers poking at all angles out of a scruffy pot is never a joy!

[ashley]

Of course they're magnificently grown but I really do agree Maggi that crowded pots do some plants disservice.  Examples that come to mind are the huge pots of reticulata irises posted earlier and some of the frits.  More is not always better.  Especially if a plant is elegant I think it should be shown in a way that enhances rather than contradicts that beauty. 

Easy for me to say of course; none of my plants come close to the amazing standard at these shows

[Pete Clarke]

Pleione Captain Hook. I have trouble keeping this one going, not vigorous for me but delightful, so I keep trying to please it.
formosan Cairngorm.
Glacier Peak - seedlings flowering for me 1st time, seem all to be quite similar. (formosana Cairngorm used as one parent.)
     "       "
grandiflora.
Rakata ? Keith Rattray (one of my stray bulbils grown on - a huge, vibrant flower.)

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Very nice Pete !
Love the rakata !! What a colour ! 

Here's some of mine :

1) P. rakata 'Shot silk' - a lot less vibrant !
2) P. kilauea 'Curlew' - one of the most elegant clones to my eyes !
3) P. tongariro 'Jackdaw'

[Eric Locke]

Pete

Interested to note that you "Glacier Peak" have a pink colouration to the petals.
If you see my earlier photo you will see that in the clone I have ,the petals are white.
My clone is a cross originating from Rainer Kretz.
Captain Hook does not like me either.

I have many photos I would like to post, but for some reason are unable to do so at present.  (OK Now see below)

Eric

[Eric Locke]

Some Pleione not often seen.

Burnsall China Doll strain
Jenny Kretz
Kituru "Sulpher"


Eric

[Eric Locke]

A few more  

Krakatoa "Painted Lady"
Kenya "Bald Eagle"
Formosana "Snow Bunting"
Marion Johnson

Eric

[Eric Locke]

Another photo of Krakatoa " Wheatear" to show the colour change.


Eric

[Eric Locke]

And some more  

Alishan "Soldier Blue"
Vesuvius "Ember"
Vicky
Scopulorum

Eric

[ranunculus]

So glad that you persevered with your image posting, Eric.   Beautiful pleiones in profusion.