Some of the hardy terrestrial orchids presented here are for sale, while some are growing only in our trial beds for display/trials/propagation purposes.
Cypripedium reginae - Showy Lady's- slipper or Queen's Lady's slipper, although quite rare can be found growing wild from Saskatchewan to Atlantic Canada and in regions of eastern United States.
Cypripedium reginae in the stock bed - June 18, 2011
We cannot give an 'exact' image of a hybrid that we got this year, but being a cross between C. reginae x C. flavum, probably is similar with what's being offered by some as Cypripedium 'Ulla Silkens'. White petals and sepals and a large pouch with varying amounts of red spotting on the lip. Actually I find it very exciting having to wait to see how the flowers will look, for sure there'll be some degree of variability. There might even be an occasional pure, white pouch! Too bad we cannot keep them all for us...
Cypripedium reginae x flavum - flower colours
And a hybrid between Cypripedium macranthos and the North american native Cypripedium parviflorum: Cypripedium 'Gisela'.
Cypripedium 'Gisela'
Note on the Cypripedium parviflorum - The classification of our native(s) yellow lady's slippers has not been settled. Formerly they were considered to be the same species as Eurasian yellow lady's slipper - Cypripedium calceolus. Here we followed the Flora of North America, which classifies all yellow lady's slippers of NE U.S. as Cypripedium parviflorum, an extremely variable species with three varieties: var. parviflorum, var. pubescens and var. makasin.
Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens
Cypripedium parviflorum var. parviflorum - growing 'wild'
Cypripedium calceolus - happy in a pot
We also hope to see flowering next season another hybrid, this time belonging to the group of Bletilla sp.- known as Chinese Ground Orchids. They have the reputation as being ones of the easiest orchids to grow, and we have to admit that they did very well in pots this year, without too much pampering. From the Penway series of hybrids Bletilla: Bletilla 'Penway Dragon', is a cross between B. formosana x B. szetchuanica. Again, there might be some variability, hard to find a 'true' image so we'll show you the parents (not that is always a guaranty for good results!).
Bletilla 'Penway Dragon' is supossed to have pink petals and sepals and white lip with pink markings. Another one to wait for!
Dactylorhiza sp. are usually in full show at the beginning of July in the stock beds.There are lots of species and subsp. of Dactylorhiza, which are also hybridizing easily but in some cases the morphology of the hybrids is so variable that is impossible to deduce for sure the original parents. Anyway, one Dactylorhiza in flower can induce great pleasure and we hope that they'll become more available in the coming years.
Dactylorhiza maculata - Heath Spotted Orchid
This one with purple flowers and spotted leaves could be a variety of D. praetermissa (Leopard Marsh Orchid) or a hybrid beetwen D. majalis x praetermissa.Who can tell for sure?
Dactylorhiza sp.
One native orchid flowering late into the fall months is Spiranthes cernua var. odorata.With help from a long fall season, one can enjoy their fragrance till November.
Spiranthes cernua var. odorata (Fragrant Ladies Tresses) has tall, elegant flower spikes consisting of white, fragrant flowers arranged in several spirals.The fragrance resemble vanilla or according with some gourmet gardeners/botanists, a mixture of vanilla,cumarin and jasmine !
A mature clump growing in the stock bed
