White Catt Attack

Orchids inevitably create a good mood, but that doesn't mean that the orchid world isn't without its sadnesses and difficult times. A recent death in our Orchid Society was a lousy way to start the new year. Ron Daly generously bequethed to the society his entire collection of 300 orchids. We decided to hold a sale and silent auction, and Bird's Botanicals graciously offered the space. It's a bittersweet affair to sell someone's orchid collection, and the final prices never reflect the true value of plant.

I thought about all of this during my bargain hunting. Cats and Catts readers know that I sometime show a lack of restraint at plant sales and auctions. I think I held it together on Sunday. Maybe. The twenty-one plants I brought home were about eleven more than Trixie anticipated and about twenty-one more than I have room for. The plants for sale were mostly Phals and standard-sized Catts, so I focused on the Phals due to space issues. This prompted a new member of our Society to remark "You must be a Phal guy," and then I told her about my high kill ratio. But, if I want to grow orchids successfully as a general goal, I need to know how to grow a Phaleonopsis. The orchid sale was a perfect chance to pick up some Phals in different stages of growth to find out what makes them happy. Following my original plan, I assiduously avoided the large-flowered Cattleyas.

C. Bob Betts (C. Bow Bells x C. mossiae var. wagneri)

And then I saw the C. Bob Betts, one of the most famous white Cattleyas, and I threw my plan out the window. You can read all about C. Bob Betts in a post I wrote about a year ago and you can get a sense of why I was so thrilled to get it. C. Artic Star 'Snow Queen' came home with me as well. Bob needed a friend, right? Now I just have to find a place for them. Wish me luck.