Autumn in the cool greenhouse
The cool greenhouse is a wonderful thing as autumn draws in. While outside it is getting progressively colder and greyer the greenhouse is illuminated by the tropical delights of autumn and winter. The peak flowering of the cool tropics is in the dry season which is November to April in the Northern hemisphere. It makes sense for an orchid to flower in the dry season as the flowers will not be smashed by tropical rains and it leaves the wet season for growing new leaves and the seed pods that follow the flowers. Starting with larger orchids, the Barkerias such as this Barkeria lindleyana are starting to bloom with tall spikes of bright pink butterfly pollinated flowers. Barkerias come from Central America, while from Asia we have many autumn flowering Coelogynes (Coelogyne barbata below) There is a real diversity in small and miniature orchids too, including Masdevallias, Barbosellas and tiny Dryadellas. Keep an eye on our ' orchid of the week ' page to find out more about thes...