Buying Hardy Orchids

[Maren]

Hi,

perhaps this should have gone under the Moan Moan Moan topic - you know what's coming.

I just received a shipment from T&M which was a replacement for one I complained about last autumn: 1 x Bletilla, 1 x Dactylorhiza and 1 x Cypripedium reginae. These were sold as flowering size in 9cm pots and clearly were not.

Well, the replacements were much the same but one better: the Bletilla was actually flowering size. However, the Dactylorhiza pot contained 5 small shoots, 1 year out of flask, I reckon. Worse still, the C. reginae was one spindly root with a couple of shoots 1 mm long. Does anyone believe that these will flower next year? I can see you rolling about with laughter.

It's such a pity. I had quite a few good deliveries of "normal" plants from T&M last year, true to specification, but orchids? never again.   Be warned, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

[Darren]

Ouch - their catalogue came through the door today so I will read it cautiously.

We once visited a local garden centre in october and found C. reginae, good flowering size plants, being sold off at season end for less than a tenner. Quite a bargain 

I guess they felt the public were not going to pay full price for them once their leaves had gone - even though nice fat buds were just visible.

[Maren]

You were lucky there, clearly they didn't know what they had.

[Maggi Young]

Crikey! I've never been in any garden centre that had Cyp. reginae of any sort, in or out of leaf or at any price. Must get out more......

[brianw]

There were several Cyps in the garden centres down south last year Maggie. Most seemed to be of German origin. C. reginae were 50% off when they were over.That was £12.50 from memory. Another GC I went to had 3 or 4 different Cyps. all well out of flower but I was there too early for them to be in the discounted section. Some C. parviflorum types were in clumps with 3 or 4 shoots. I tried to bribe one of the assistants to call me when they went on offer; but no luck.

[Maggi Young]

Mercy Brian, you break my heart.... couldn't you have  borrowed a caravan and camped in the carpark till
they were reduced..........

[angie]

I never seem to see any bargains like that  hear about it after everything is gone. I never even knew that garden centres sold Cypripediums. I wonder if I could persuade my local garden centre to take in an order, somehow I can't see it. They just seem to take in the same every year. I have said to them if they tried to take in something unusual in they might attract real gardeners and we all know that these folks can't keep their pennies in their pockets  only speaking of myself off course.
Roll on Dunblane early bulb day, at least I manage to get something nice from there. 

Angie 

[ThomasB]

There were several Cyps in the garden centres down south last year Maggie. Most seemed to be of German origin.

Last year some Cyps were offered in several garden centres around Germany looking like the plants pictured here under News. I bought one labeled 'Cypripedium White' for 10 Euro which was just past its flowering time (4 shoots). Have a look under Assortment to see the flowering plants.

[Peter Maguire]

Pennies?..... Orchids? 
You must be finding some bargains somewhere Angie.

[angie]

Ok Peter, lots of pennies then  I have never found a bargain yet. Finding these plants is hard enough, not much suppliers that I know off. I got a web site from a SRGC member. I emailed them but still haven't had a reply. I think they were called ground-orchids, there was some nice Cyps there.
Would be nice to think our garden centres would take these plants in.

Angie 

[Peter Maguire]

I've never tried buying from ground-orchids.de, although they have some exciting plants available, so I'll be interested to hear how you get on with them.
One to look for later in the year (he ships June-Oct) is www.myorchids.de
I've had great plants from him (Heinrich) in the past - no Cyps though, but great if you want to try something different.

[angie]

Thanks Peter for the link. Everyone says that I need to scale down on what I am growing but how can I when I see all those lovely orchids. Oh well we only live once, no point taking my money to my grave and I don't have any children looking for their inheritance  so better just buy me some more plants 

Angie 

[Maren]

Hi Angie, that's my philosophy also, although I have a son but I don't tell him about my orchid purchases. Actually, I have decided to reduce my cypripedium assortment, just too many things to look after, especially as I am developing interests in other areas. When I get a chance, I'll update my pricelist. 

[angie]

Hi Angie, that's my philosophy also, although I have a son but I don't tell him about my orchid purchases. Actually, I have decided to reduce my cypripedium assortment, just too many things to look after, especially as I am developing interests in other areas. When I get a chance, I'll update my pricelist. 

    Maren when I hear all my friends saying that they are happy that they will have something to leave their family when they go to be with the daisies, I think to myself oh what a nightmare I would leave to my children (if I had had any) all that plants, pots, troughs and everything else in the garden that they would have to tidy up. The house would be ok as its very minimalistic and I don't hoard anything. Oh well no point worrying.
Will have a look on you link.

Angie 

[monocotman]

Angie,

as well as Laneside and Edrom with large assortments of cyps in the UK, try Crustacare in Belgium and 'Floralpin' in Germany.
I've had very nice plants from Frank Schmidt at Floralpin. The macranthos clones are lovely and the plants he sends are generous in size.
FS really is FS!
Regards,
David