Paph wardii "Robin's Prince Charles' AM/AOS

[Rick]

Finally my first Paph quality award!!!

I posted this last month after the first bud opened for this year, but I took it to the Atlanta judging Center yesterday. Not only am I thrilled that this is my first Paph AOS award, but from my own breeding / growing. This is also a ST collaboration since Gilda's plant 'Charles' was the pollen parent (may he rest in peace). So this plant is named after my wife (Robin) and in memory of the pollen parent (Charles). The size and form put this flower firmly into the range of the the other 78 awards for wardii, but the color, glossy texture, and patterning (the bright green contrasting with the dense black spotting) are what gave it the distinction to get it scored. 81point AM



If you remember Slipperkings 'Blackbird' wardii, the pollen from Prince Charles went into that flower. Can imagine the above flower with candy apple red gloss over!!!

 

[Marc]

Congratulations Rick, and allthough I don't grow orchids for awards. The thought that I will never enter a plant into a judging that has any value on an international level makes me a bit sad.

Or I should take some plants to the UK.

 

[emydura]

Congratulations Rick. A well deserved award. Beautiful form and colour. Really wide petals.

 

[Justin]

well deserved, congrats!

 

[Rick]

Congratulations Rick, and although I don't grow orchids for awards. The thought that I will never enter a plant into a judging that has any value on an international level makes me a bit sad.

Or I should take some plants to the UK.

It's just another facet to the hobby. As you've probably read from many folks comments, it can be exceedingly frustrating to submit plants for judging. I would say that I don't "grow orchids for awards" and grow for the enjoyment of the flowers and science. But I'm certainly competitive and opportunistic enough to show something that I think is a good one. But that being said, I would reiterate that my selection of parents for this breeding was strictly to please my personal aesthetic tastes rather than any interest in developing a competitive flower.

I've been taking lots of plants to shows and judging centers for probably 8 or so years now, and have only 5 AOS awards to show for it. So out of the hundreds of plants in my collection, I can't be expecting everything to be award quality.:wink:

But most orchid judges have come up from the same simple ranks of us hobbyists (most probably still consider themselves hobbyists), so they have a wealth of knowledge to pick up on, and many are plain old fun to hang out with.

But it does feel good to have one of your plants recognized/certified as something special. ST is also a great place to show off your plants and learn from the comments what might be hot enough to show off to the judges.

 

[tomkalina]

Nice clone, Rick! Congrats on the AM/AOS; I'm sure it was well researched before it was pointed.

 

[Rick]

Nice clone, Rick! Congrats on the AM/AOS; I'm sure it was well researched before it was pointed.

Thanks Tom

Yes, plenty of research by me and the judges.

There was a lot of trepidation on my part to bring in a species with such an extensive award history to start with. Looking at old records and the taxonomic description, I knew this flower was not a record size flower, so it was going to be all up to more subjective color and presentation aspects.

Wardii is a bit special compared to many other paph species, in that the within species variation of flower color and form is very high, and "going for a different look" with wardii is much easier to do with this species.

The plant was screened by a student judge to compare to all the old records before making it to the judging team who also reviewed the records and the photos. Fortunately, it was a sunny day, and not too cold, so the judges took it outside to see what it looked like in bright light, and that's were it really stood out. Under standard florescent room lighting, wardii can all look like muddy dogs. Photo flash is closer to sunlight, so the award photos in the history files have a leg up on plants sitting under the room lights. So there was a bit of luck factor that the judges took it out into good light for inspection, and this particular "look" caught their fancy.

 

[John M]

Wide petals, great colour and markings and what a wonderful dorsal! This is a very special clone! Congratulations, Rick!!!

 

[goldenrose]

How exciting! :clap::clap::clap: CONGRATS! WTG! Lovely!

 

[Paph_LdyMacBeth]

:clap::clap::clap:

 

[SlipperFan]

That's gorgeous, Rick. Congratulations!

 

[NYEric]

I said wow when I saw dark edge to the lateral petals. Congrats!

 

[paphioboy]

Beautiful! and congratulations! :clap::clap::clap:

 

[abax]

You did goooood, TN Rick!

Congratulations. The bloom is very impressive. Can I have it?????

 

[JeanLux]

Bravo Rick, a well deserved award!!!! Jean

 

[AquaGem]

Congrats!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ozpaph]

lovely. well done

 

[Roth]

Excellent one... It's very hard to get an award for wardii, especially an AM, it must be really a good one.

Wardii is not too variable in fact, but there has been hybrids sold as wardii for ages ( there used to be a wardii with red petals, no spots, sold by a famous nursery in California. This was the hybrid with purpuratum, made in Kunming Botanical Gardens).

Wardii is as well extremely rare now in the wild, except a colony in north Burma, that is not really big.

 

[SlipperKing]

As I mentioned, excellent job Rick! The basket thing must of thrown the judges for a loop!

 

[Mocchaccino]

Congratulations Rick. No one would ever question you !!!