Orchids Aplenty - Cam Theme - 57

I don't know about you, but I really like orchids
growing them on the other hand has proved difficult.
But that hasn't stopped me buying them.

If you happen to be in Singapore from 13-20 November, the 20th World Orchid Conference is happening.
The next World Orchid Conference is in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2014

There are 2 kinds of orchids:

epiphytes - these are the most popular and grow from trees.
                  they require a moist, warm climate
                  most popular being Dendrobiums

orchid Dendrobium

terrestrial - these grow directly from the ground
                  they are easier to grow and their flowers last longer
                  most popular being Cymbidiums

orchid Cymbidium

so, if you ARE an orchid boffin, I'd love to hear from you giving names to the images of orchids I have here. All these photos were taken in the Begonia hothouse at Wellington's Botanic gardens




There are 11 photo sets in this "CAM" series and one guest photo.
If you would like to see more images of orchids - or Wellington  - click on the labels tab at the bottom of this blog

Click on any image for a larger view.

Previous posts can be viewed by clicking on the "BLOG ARCHIVE" section to the right.
If there is a particular subject you would like to see - it just may already be on my blog.
Check the top right of this main page to search it out.

so we've had orchids looking like tiger lillies and now these ones - 

which (to me) look like bearded iris flowers, but they're not

looking at it close up with my camera lens, I like the result...

orchid close up

it's an interesting mix of complimentary colours

whilst I'm definitely not an orchid officianado, I do have this titbit to share:

yellow orchids mainly come from Thailand

yellow orchid

where these yellow ones come from, I wouldn't have a clue

but I quite enjoy their difference to other orchid varieties in the hothouse

so flick me a comment if you know the details of this plant...

this photo of an orchid cluster is here coz I like how the darker background makes them stand out

and of course they're good looking orchids

foliage doesn't usually vie for attention as much as the flowers do

I wasn't sure these larger pink orchid blooms would photograph well

orchid Dendrobium - pink

the blooms seem to hover in this photo and the green background of ferns compliments it nicely I think

Here is a cluster of trumpeting orchids that I liked the look of

I decided to crop it to get rid of the background leaves of another tropical plant in the hothouse, thereby focusing on the small orchid flowers themselves
.

pink orchids

since these orchids were growing from the ground up - 

I can safely say they are terrestrial orchids.

spotted terrestrial orchids

there wasn't a name tag nearby that I was aware of when taking the photo but here it is for your viewing pleasure. 

I just like the spotted pattern of these orchids

these orchids look more like Tiger Lillies I thought

orchids looking like lillies

they were definitely terrestrial variety - so apparently easy to grow

Some of the larger blooming orchids...

the accompanying grey leaves complimenting the purple and white of the colourful lips

Dendrobium orchid 

and a close up of the fascinating colours and patterns of these Dendrobium orchids
there's even 2 pearl-like adornments there

Dendrobium orchid close up

good tree-growing orchids these...

Since I don't know the name of these orchids, I called them "white and green" 

again, they were in clusters - and seemed quite spindly compared to some of the bigger blooming orchids in the Begonia House

I wouldn't have a clue what type of orchids these miniature cluster of pink ones are, but it goes to show the diversity of species in the orchid family

above is a close up -
and below - in the context of their environment...

I don'r recall these orchids having any scent 

GUEST PHOTO:...

This photo of a baobab tree near Hoedspruit in South Africa

Baobab tree - Hoedspruit

by Warwick Anderson

... :GUEST PHOTO