Dear Members:

I'm new to this forum, and after a twenty year lapse, I'd like to try growing some orchids again.

Many years ago I grew a sizable clump of Bl.'Yellow Bird' and it was never out of bloom, ... in spite of the lousy culture that I provided. I grew it in a south-facing window in the winter, on a shelf, above a steaming radiator, ....in the summer, outside in full-south sun. It was potted in a quick-draining, chipped bark, twiggy, tree fern mix. I watered it when I remembered,...the rain provided the additional moisture. Over the few years that I grew it, it spread itself right out of the large bulb pan and spilled over the sides of the pot. It was hardly never out of bloom. That was then, and this is now.

I'd like to grow something similar, but with a little more color punch in the flower department..."Yellow Bird' can be a little washed-out colorwise.

Have there been any hybrids introduced with deep, saturated, flaming-orange flowers? Possibly B. nodosa X L. kautskyi/cinnabarina/harpophyllum? Single, thick, terete-leaf, warm-growing, dry, 'Yello Bird'-type plant, but with deep-orange flowers? I'm only interested in thick, stiff, leathery, single-leaved growers like B. nodosa. Think:... B. nodosa leaves with L. kautskyi flowers.

Any leads/suggestions/ USA growers, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Frank