thursday blooms
Bulbophyllum 'Doris Dukes' is my new favorite orchid. I have a new favorite every month. I'm fickle that way. This orchid is named after the heiress and horticulturalist, Doris Duke . It is blooming profusely right now, with 9 flower spikes, each with a pair of blossoms or buds. A. suggested in a comment on my last post, that the new patio table looked lonely without a plant on it. You are absolutely right! Here's Doris on the table in a beautiful peacock planter (also found at a yard sale for $.50). From orchids Static pictures do not do Doris justice. She has fine feathery fringe that moves with the slightest breeze. A hinged lip teeters when one touches it. Makes me wonder what type of pollinator she seeks to attract. This plant is a hybrid, though. A sort of gorgeous Frankenstein created in a greenhouse and pollinated by humans. I think she looks waspish. We have seen wasps flying around the plant, looking confused. Bulbophyllum may be pollinated ...