This Saturday I went to Golden Gate Orchid's closing/ SF orchid society only member sale. Tom Perlite, a long time Bay Area Orchid grower who has received numerous rewards for his orchids all over the globe, is retiring at the end of this year. I was actually given the honor of interviewing him for a school project during my sophomore year...he offered me inspiration on how far a degree in horticulture or plant related can take me. Since, he got a degree in Botany at UC Berkeley. Well, my parents and I drove out to his greenhouse in South San Francisco to show him our support and wish him luck in retirement. My only goal was to get a masdevallia hybridized by himself, and that is exactly what I got. He handpicked this red masdevallia that has been given a First Class Certificate (the highest honor you can give to an orchid) for me. Sheila is the name of his wife. Do I hear a "aww" somewhere? <3
This Masdevallia has a burgundy color under normal light, but it is almost a bright blood red when you place it in the sun. The photo of the orchid can not do it justice. You have to see it to appreciate it. It is 2.5 inches long 1 inch wide. The texture of the orchid almost waxy and Tom described the thickness of the orchid to be almost like "plastic". There are several new growths sprouted from the base and it is freshly repotted in sphagnum. The cool part of the orchid is that from one spike there's two flowers popping out. $30 for an orchid that was hybridized by an orchid legend, I think I got a bargain.
P.S. I have yet to post a second masdevallia that I got at his greenhouse, but I'm waiting for the second flower to bloom since the currently in bloom one is a bit damaged. But will post as soon at it blooms.
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