Dactylorhiza maculata; someone has experience with it ?

I bought two Dactylorhiza maculata last year from a nursery. They were in the department of the shadow-lovers, were potted up and had flower buds and beautiful spotted leaves.

I am a bit confused by the information I read from different sources; in PF it states that they need constantly damp soil, this correspond with the info in my book of wildflowers of Britain and Europe. But then I have another wildflower book that says it grows in dry conditions; still another source; a botany book says very damp in the growing season, dry in winter. So I am puzzled what is the best now.

I had followed the info I found in the PF and planted them at the border of my pond where its is constantly damp and sometimes soaked. They are in a buried clay pot with special soil preparation, that is on the acidic side.

This spring they came up fine, unfortunately, one of them has been stepped on by a visiting friend who didn't watch out (grrr....!), but the other is ok and even made a side shoot. Alas no sign of flower buds, and I think it's too late now to still expect them for this year. What could I be doing wrong ?

Picture of last year;

Hi Bonitin, I have that one, the flowers are just starting to open now. This is the third flowering for mine, I was given two plants because they were small but they have always flowered.

Mine have been in pots under the shade the Horse Chestnut tree, I planted them a few weeks ago in a spot which gets a little sun but once the other plants around them mature they will get more shade. I've only ever given a little water and not paid much attention to them, in the winter time the tree has no leaves on and they remained moist, in the summer they died back so I have never bothered to water them much, they have just got some water when I watered other things but being dormant I guess they didn't need much.

They look fine now, and had gone through all the dry weather we had recently although it has rained a lot now. I didn't pay a lot of attention to watering them, they were established in the pots of my own compost mix, perhaps they like lots of organic matter. Every year I have been worried they might not return but they always have, I suppose now they are in the ground they will disappear.

Mine came from Longacre Plants, I came across it recently somewhere and it is a different subspecies, but I don't remember which, it's white with purple markings. They are slightly different to each other too, and very delicate. Before the cold days and rain we have had it was just starting to open, I haven't looked since, must do that tomorrow.

http://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/acatalog/index.html

Maybe they don't need to be soaked, they seem to like my compost mix which is free draining.

Mine is probably this one

http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/38269/

The other one has more spotting

The pics were in 2005, last year they didn't make very good spikes if I remember correctly, it was a very cold winter and spring.

The leaves did get bigger though, the flower pics were on 4th June 05. This leaf pic was 24th Apriol 06. I have always found it difficult to get good pics of them, they were well shaded and the flash usually went off.

Thank you Wallaby!

I have digged up the clay pot this morning and replanted it somewhere else. The soil around the roots came off very easily without damaging them. I've made a mixture of compost, peat and some potting soil and a lot of clay pebbles in the bottom of the planting hole. In its present spot it will get about 2 hours morning sun. I hope it will be happy now.

In its previous spot it was probably getting too much shade by its giant neighbour; Osmunda regalis.

While I was replanting it I noticed that it looked rather anaemic, the beautiful spots were only faintly present.
When I bought them they were very tall when flowering; about 60 cm. There where nuances in the colours going from a deeper pink to almost white like yours and different patterns of spots on the leaves of the ones they had in that nursery.

Found a couple more pictures of last year.

I also find it very difficult to photograph them;
But this one gives a better impression of its tallness; de flower spikes are overlighted:

I took out one single flower to photograph, because it is difficult to see them well when crowded on the flower spike.

Yours is huge! Mine is still fairly small but I think the flowers look a little stronger this year, they are just beginning to open. They both have more spots on the petals this year too, one is a faint pink, the other slightly darker.

The leaves are not very big like yours, perhaps now they are in the ground they might get bigger, I think they are only about one foot tall. I got some pics so will download later, it's warm out there!

wish it was warmer over here; the weather has been miserable for many weeks now; sometimes soo chilly, it almost felt like winter again. Once in a while there was some sun, but never lasting for long. Fortunately the predictions for next week are more promising.

You should get it tomorrow, we have been like winter here, so cold and I have felt so grumpy with it! It was barely 7C the other day!

Now I'm smiling, time to get out before it changes! The thermometer was on 22C around midday!

I like that English word: 'grumpy', it really expresses exactly the feeling by its sound! Amazing what warmer weather and some sunshine can do to lift up our spirits!

bonitin, did you have warm weather today? It was 25C here! Life is so much more enjoyable, and easier, when it's warm!

I tried to get a full shot of my D. maculatas, but the flowers were blurred. They are a little more than one foot tall, one has more leaves than the other, but they both look happy.

This is the happy face yesterday

But this face was sad.......

Today it was laughing!

*grin* :-)

Beautiful shots, Wallaby! When looking 'happy' its like they spread their little 'arms' out. They have very nice patterns on the flower petals, which show better on yours because of more contrast with the white background.

I've been away the whole day yesterday to my brother's place and the weather was indeed agreeable, not so warm as in your place, but nice and plenty of sunshine.

I was lucky yesterday, as my brother had to go to the nursery to get some plants for one of his clients and I was offered the opportunity to come with. It was the nursery where I got my 5 martagons and I couldn't resist buying 3 more of them! One is a L.martagon 'album'. It is blooming and the other two have flower buds. As they don't take so much space I think I'll manage to find a place for them, if not I'll have to remove some plants and offer them to friends. I really got the Lily virus!

Glad you like them.........the laughing face makes me laugh, the smiling face makes me smile, the sad face, well, they are not human are they?????????

I think you did the right thing bonitin, that must be a great mursery to visit! I have L. duchartrei with 2 flowers open today, I will post it on the Lily forum thread of species.

Lily virus, Lily bug, much the sameness! I think I have the bug and virus, real bad!

No, they are not human, but I have to keep myself reminded about that!
I'm curious to see the pictures of your L. duchartrei.
I'll post my blooming martagon 'album' on your lily species thread.

Gonna do that now, I've downloaded but have been outside this afternoon. Yes do post your martagon there, would love to see it!