British orchids

[Chrisg]

Ever year at Savill gardens I am impressed by how well their orchids do just scattered through the various gardens. So this year I purchased a couple of Dactylorhiza fuchsii to see how they did for me. Currently in pots, but it hasn't stopped them from flowering:


Dactylorhiza-fuchsii-form1-01-june13


Dactylorhiza-fuchsii-form1-02-june13

This one doesn't have the strongest colour to the flowers, we'll what the other ones turns out like.

[Wayne]

Thanks for posting, I have one of these, which has sent flower stalks up.
Looking foward to seeing it flower.

I saw a great programme that talked about Britsih Orchids growing in Kent. Would love to see more, and grow them too

Wayne

[AndyC]

About a quarter of a mile away from here are some managed woodlands and heath on a site where gravel was extracted about a hundred years ago. The soil is very poor but these orchids thrive there. Very occasionally a lone Dactylorhiza will appear in my garden brought in by birds I guess. The last time it happened one popped up in a pot of Houttuynia cordata I had sitting in the pond.

[Chrisg]

Thanks Wayne, this was a bit of a trial for me as you know.

Andy. I am surprised at the locations they appear at savill, everything from the bog garden through the the gravel bed. If I can keep them alive, I will probably invest in a few different ones to scatter around the garden.

If they survive in full sun in my gravel bed they will be a great replacements for the spotted manfredas that are not hardy.

[Chrisg]

The flowers have come on since the last post


Dactylorhiza-fuchsii-form1-03-june13


Dactylorhiza-fuchsii-form2-01-june13


Dactylorhiza-fuchsii-form2-02-june13

[charlie]

Very nice, someone once gave me a large clump, it appeared to do ok for a year then was shredded by snails and vanished, yet some of the road verges are carpeted in them these days!

[LONGK]

Very nice, someone once gave me a large clump, it appeared to do ok for a year then was shredded by snails and vanished, yet some of the road verges are carpeted in them these days!

On the drive to work on Saturday I spotted a wee clump of this on the verge. So I took my camera with me Monday - the verge had been cut!!!

[Wayne]

I saw some! Liberated it and here it is growing under a Damson Tree in my back garden ;)

Now my family want it liberated from my garden for theirs.

Wayne

[Chrisg]

I read something recently about how to get more plants quickly. Apparently the trick it is wait until the flower starts to die off, by this stage the new tubers should have formed. So clear off all the soil and check for new plants (apparently new tubers will be white with the green tip of new plant at top). These can be gently broken off and panted up and both sets of plants will then offset more over the rest of the summer. I am going to try it with at least one of mine so i will take photos as I do it. Thinking about it, it may be on Darrens facebook page.

These seem to be a lot more common that I expected, in terms of finding them in the wild. They also seem to be alot less carefully looked after, being dug up, cut up, mowed. You name it the local council / grounds people seem to do it.