Fabulous Phalaenopsis!

This year, I’ve enjoyed getting to know a couple of new Phalaenopsis hybrids. These plants were grown in the UK by Double H Nurseries, they’re part of the nurseries’ new range of Phalaenopsis plants, which have all been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

The Award of Garden Merit was set up by the Royal Horticultural Society, to help gardeners find plants that will perform well in regular growing conditions, without any specialist care or attention. Plants that receive this accolade are reliable plants, that are reasonably disease resistant and free flowering. If you’re looking at a selection of plants and aren’t sure which one to choose, an AGM plant is a plant you can purchase knowing that particular plant has been trialled and tested and will perform well given the appropriate conditions. You’ll find AGM plants at your nursery, or garden centre, and online. AGM plants display the RHS AGM trophy symbol.

Phalaenopsis plants are such a blessing; they’re always at our side, bringing elegance to our living rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Phalaenopsis can be so floriferous; they flower whatever the weather or season, and can bloom continuously for a year or more at a time. These glamorous plants enhance any home, from chic apartments to country estates.

Phalaenopsis ‘New Life’ will flourish in bright, but indirect light. If you have a very bright room, you may want to position this plant in a corner or further away from the window, but those of you with dark rooms may want to place your plant closer to the window.

Avoid placing your Phalaenopsis ‘Sunny Smell’ plants above a radiator, as Phalaenopsis hate to be grown above a heat source! Similarly, don’t place your Phalaenopsis plants near an open fire, or stove. Avoid growing your Phalaenopsis plants near doorways or anywhere where there are extremes of temperature, or temperature fluctuations.

I first saw Phalaenopsis ‘Sunny Smell’ at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year 2016 stand, at Chelsea. In the cool temperatures that day I could not detect any fragrance from this orchid’s sunset yellow blooms, but now that I have my own plant, I can enjoy the light fragrance of this Phalaenopsis. It’s a warm perfume, which has been enjoyed by my visitors.

Phalaenopsis ‘New Life’ is a fragrant Phalaenopsis, this orchid’s flowers produce a pleasing, floral perfume, which is most noticeable in the morning.

Another AGM Phalaenopsis that I have particularly enjoyed getting to know, is Phalaenopsis ‘New Life’. This is a truly delightful Phalaenopsis! ‘New Life’ produces ivory flowers, which are delicately infused with a soft dusky pink. The overall look of the plant is very romantic and ethereal, it has a rather soothing quality. The centre of each bloom is quite charmingly freckled, the overall look is divine! Phalaenopsis ‘New Life’ produces a light, floral scent, these orchids are most fragrant in the mornings.

Phalaenopsis ‘Sunny Smell’ produces sunset yellow coloured blooms. Phalaenopsis ‘Sunny Smell’ is a fragrant Phalaenopsis, grown by Double H Nurseries, in New Milton, Great Britain.

When choosing a position for your Phalaenopsis ‘New Life’ or ‘Sunny Smell’ plants, look for a location where your plant will enjoy bright, moderate, indirect light. Choose a spot where no harsh sunlight will shine directly onto your plant’s leaves or flowers. Harsh, direct light can scorch Phalaenopsis plants, if you notice that your plant has been scorched by too intense a light, move your plant to a shadier location.

Phalaenopsis ‘New Life’ is a floriferous, free flowering Phalaenopsis hybrid. My plant that you can see pictured in these photographs, has produced a number of flowering stems. These flowering stems have been gently bent over and clipped to each other, to create an attractive, self-supporting, mini floral arch. If you have a Phalaenopsis that has produced long flowering stems, this is a great way to create a more compact plant.

If you’d like to grow these scented Phalaenopsis plants for yourself, you’ll find the full range of Double H Nurseries’ AGM Phalaenopsis plants sold in Waitrose and Marks and Spencer: look out for the British flag and the RHS AGM logo, (which is a trophy symbol) when purchasing your plants. Tesco and Sainsbury’s now stock Phalaenopsis plants grown at Double H Nurseries, but not plants from this AGM range. When choosing plants, look out for Phalaenopsis plants that display the British flag, to purchase plants grown at Double H Nurseries, in New Milton. Alternatively, visit their website and buy online.

I water my Phalaenopsis ‘Sunny Smell’ plants with rainwater or deionised water. The salts in tap water can be harmful for orchids.

Phalaenopsis ‘New Life’ is a fragrant Phalaenopsis grown by Double H Nurseries, in New Milton, Great Britain.

Phalaenopsis are very floriferous plants, a good specimen enjoying good care can flower continually for a year or more.

Phalaenopsis ‘Sunny Smell’ is one of ten new Phalaenopsis grown at Double H Nurseries in New Milton, UK, to receive the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

PS. Rather frustratingly, the Phalaenopsis orchids I mention in this article are often not labelled or sold by name – so your best chance of finding Phalaenopsis ‘New Life’ and ‘Sunny Smell’ is to pop into a Waitrose or Marks and Spencers store and look in their houseplants or florist section.

To see my Phalaenopsis growing guide and to find more named Phalaenopsis hybrids, please click here.

This article was first published in the November 2018 edition of Vantage Point Magazine.

Other articles that may interest you………………….

For more information and tips & tricks to help you grow and flower Phalaenopsis, please click here.

To see photographs of the Thailand themed Orchid Extravaganza, at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew (which featured Phalaenopsis plants that were grown at Double H Nurseries), please click here.

To see some lovely suggestions of great houseplants, please click here.

To see a planting list of terrarium plants, including orchids, ferns, and terrarium plants, please click here.

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