First Plant Purchase of 2011!

I finally made my first plant purchase of 2011! Vancouver has a high Chinese population and needless to say Chinese New Year is a big thing here. Today I went to Walmart to pick up some groceries and discovered $10 orchids! I've never seen them this cheap. They're usually about $30 in bloom and then around $15 after bloom time. To find a beautiful, healthy-looking orchid with most blooms as buds ready to open was something I just couldn't pass up for $10.

Apparently it's part of the Chinese New Year sale. They even have some lanterns up hanging from the ceiling. Although simply labelled as Phalaenopsis I discovered it was actually a cross between Doritis and Phalaenopsis. These hybrids were once considered a separate species but are now a subgroup under Phalaenopsis. The entire name as far as I can tell is Phaelenopsis Doritaenopsis taida salu (Red/Red Strip).

Anyone in the Vancouver (or similar) areas should check out Walmart early in the morning (before 9am) for some more deals. I get the feeling they put them out every day but they go fast. Hopefully you can grab a cheap one too! A word of caution: The plants are actually in plastic post (with holes in the bottom) which are placed in clay pots. You'll probably want to repot relatively quickly or they may get too wet.