June

How to Build an Orchid Lath House

One of the secrets to cultivating orchids successfully in this part of the country is to put the plants outside for the summer. Night temperatures usually don't fall below 60 degrees F during the months of June, July, and August and the humidity is high. Epiphytes thrive in these rainforest-like conditions. What confounds hobbyists, however, is how to provide proper light levels.

Cattleya warscewiczii

The king of the mountain heralds the arrival of summer

 

C. warscewiczii typical

One of my favorite times of year is early summer, not because the sun is at its brightest then, or because the days stretch lazily into long warm summer evenings, but because this is when my favorite Cattleya species, Cattleya warscewiczii, blooms.

Cattleya gaskelliana

Queen Bee par Excellence

It must have been fun to be an orchid enthusiast and live in London in the 1880s. You could see a new display of orchids two or three times a week. You could see the displays even if you only worked in London, because they were usually held from 11 am to 2:30 pm weekdays — during your lunch break.

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