Something About Orchids

    This is where and how I grow (and photograph) Under lights, in the basement!  The first photo does not show the two of the shelving units behind me, but there are 8 total.  I use cheap, plain white LED strips that are equivalent to 4ft  high output T5 florescent tubes.       NOTE - My grow room does NOT glow pink.  I have tried the pink LEDs and they made it unpleasant to visit my orchids, or even walk by the room.  I am proof that YOU DO NOT NEED A FANCY LIGHT SETUP TO GROW AND BLOOM ORCHIDS!  It's up to you, but I don't think you can really argue with my results!      Any trouble growing plants in my conditions seems to be due to lack of day/night temp difference.  Not lack of light.     Any difficulty blooming in my conditions are generally due to lack of a cool rest period.  Which, of course, more expensive lights will not help. In The Orchid Dungeon     Right now it only costs $30-40 to buy lights for a 2x4 shelf, which will grow just about anything.  They don't fr

Bulbophyllum romyi         I love this plant and I didn't even buy it on purpose!  It came labeled as fascinator semi-alba, which at first I was disappointed - I got over that pretty quickly.   Check out these macro shots, even the anther cap is decorated.  Each part of this flower has a distinctive texture - I highly recommend enlarging these!    Thought I would share some of the more artistic photos I took of this in my new photo nook.  Which, by the way was a great upgrade - though I did get the concentrated aroma of this Bulbophyllum.  Not the worst by far, but immediately brought to mind the bag of wet seashells that had sat in the sun for a few days - on a long car trip home from the beach.  'What on earth is that smell?'  Rotting invertabrates.  Of course we always check for creatures, but still...it's really only noticable when you stick your face in it.  Not a complaint, just an observation.  As a Bulbophyllum connoisseur, I know full well what I was getting in