Pleione 2012

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Lovely Piton, Maren - my Piton is 3 or 4 weeks away yet !

My first of the season is new to me : Pleione 'Sirena' - surprised me with a twin flower 
a forrestii x humilis cross, where humilis clearly prevails !

 

[Darren]

That is a really lovely clone Luc!

Of Maren's two Pitons I prefer the first as it is closest to yunnanensis - my favourite species - but I like both of them.

[Torsten Junker]

wow, that's a stunning 'Sirena' not at all what I expected of that cross! But it looks to have good stature despite the strong humilis influence.
I'm still waiting patiently for my clone to flower this year for the first time.

[Slug Killer]

Very pretty Sirena Luc.

Pleione forrestii now starting to flower and Pleione Lucey.

[Slug Killer]

Pleione humilis, this is a very big bulb for humilis compared to the 'normal' ones. Very much like the Pleione humilis Bigu Gompa sold at Wubben.

[Maren]

Hi David, agreed, yours is exceptionally large. Nice shape flower, too.

[JimF]

Lovely, lovely flowers everyone! I'm forrestii yellow with envy.

Surprisingly early to me. Mine won't flower for another month or two. They just came out of the garage today because I see a hint of expansion in the buds. l keep them there in winter to protect from freeze and moisture.

I have seen a huge patch about 10' x 10' under Douglas firs. It was a "magenta pink" wild collected species - unnamed - in an old uncared for garden here in Washington State. Been there for years. Stunning.

If there are any pleione collectors in the U.S. willing to trade or sell or know of nurseries here who sell more then one variety, please feel free to private email me. I can't believe there aren't more of us here.

I'm willing to import from Europe and the UK but dormant season being winter I worry about freezing enroute. Has anyone in the U.S. had any experience doing this successfully?

Jim

[johnw]

I'm willing to import from Europe and the UK but dormant season being winter I worry about freezing enroute. Has anyone in the U.S. had any experience doing this successfully?   Jim  

Jim  - I have imported plants from Europe as late as early December and have never had freeze damage. Would this not be a suitable time to ship dormant Pleiones?

I have had a shipment of rhododendron cuttings freeze in October. They were shipped Fedex going Halifax to Vancouver.  They later told me they could not guarantee live material would not freeze in their cargo hold.  I don't know if they froze on a stop-over in the Prairies or they were flying at an extreme altitude or someone left a window open.  Intra-Canada mail here is a real hazard from mid-December till late March as one can never tell where the mailbags will have a stop-over.

I suppose you've perused Fraser's Thimble Farms latest catalogue - lots of Pleiones.

johnw

[Slug Killer]

Hi David, agreed, yours is exceptionally large. Nice shape flower, too.

Others would have to agree with you Maren Below shows how much bigger these bulbs get compared to other humilis. The bigger bulb has been placed in a bowl of flowering size Pleione humilis Farrer Medal from Paul C which have now finished flowering and had the old heads removed to make the comparison easier.

[ThomasB]

Really nice Pleione gems are already flowering for all of you!

Here Pleione Lhasa 'Blushes' is the first one to flower - a great cross! 

[JimF]

Jim  - I have imported plants from Europe as late as early December and have never had freeze damage. Would this not be a suitable time to ship dormant Pleiones?

I have had a shipment of rhododendron cuttings freeze in October. They were shipped Fedex going Halifax to Vancouver.  They later told me they could not guarantee live material would not freeze in their cargo hold.  I don't know if they froze on a stop-over in the Prairies or they were flying at an extreme altitude or someone left a window open.  Intra-Canada mail here is a real hazard from mid-December till late March as one can never tell where the mailbags will have a stop-over.

I suppose you've perused Fraser's Thimble Farms latest catalogue - lots of Pleiones.

johnw

Thanks for the information. It's worth a try then. One just never knows. I could buy insurance against freeze and have a temperature recorder placed in the box. I have heard of that done - along with insurance if it does freeze.

I have looked a Fraser's Thimble Farms, Canada, and its very good selection. Importation is the rub again.

Jim

[sottych]

Hello
Just test for my picture (Oncidium?)

[enrico]

Pleione Alishan Merlin is in flower.

I'm experimenting focus stacking on these photos, I need to find some better background but here are the results:

[Peter Maguire]

Very sharp photos of a lovely plant Enrico - the focus stacking has certainly been effective. I realy should do more of it....

[Maggi Young]

In my ignorance, I have no idea what "focus stacking" might be.... but I like the  results!

Went searching... found this :  http://www.digital-photography-school.com/an-introduction-to-focus-stacking .... which seems to explain the technique quite well........