Phalaenopsis violacea var. Sumatra and Phalaenopsis bellina (just added Phalaenopsis pallens)

Very nice Phal. violacea var. Sumatra. This is the first time it flower after i bought it a few months ago.  There is some improvement in the shape and color of the flower.

This very round-shaped Phal.bellina is flowering again.  If you are looking for good quality big and round Phal bellinas, the most famous local breeder has got to be Mr. Law Moi Hwa.  Many oversea nurseries and breeders also produce such bellinas and you can get them in local shows and exhibitions but they are not cheap either.  The problem is that those plants were grown in well sheltered nurseries with perfect temperature and water quality control so there is no guarantee that the plant will preduce the same quality flower when grown in our climate. 

Many of our locally bred bellinas are grown in our weather since seedling and if you see a big round form then what you see is what you will get.  So when some hobbyist say that their flowers are not the same as when they bought it from some reputed oversea growers the reason is obvious.

So instead of buying unreliable plants, it is better to spend a bit more and get one good one, or else you end up having half a dozen of $30 plants instead of a single good quality $200 plant. 

So, how much is a reasonable price to pay?  There are bellinas that cost $1000 or more all the way down to $5 a plant.  The price for the plant above is about $200 so if you can get it for less, then you've got a great deal.

This is a Phaleanopsis pallens with excellent color.  The bars are of a deep cinnamon which gives a very sharp contrast with the background of white.  Although the color and marking of this flower is very similar to Phalaenopsis amboinensis 'Common', the lip is very different.  The front portion of the lip is wider and triangular with hairy fringes and a tuff of hair near the front portion of the lip.  Phalaenopsis pallens is supposed to have pale coloration but this one is deep.