Laelia grandis 'Orchid Court' HCC/AOS

Got my vacation off to a great start Sunday night when I arrived home from work to find this plant I had sent to judging was given a 79-point HCC. It's an easy grower, a reliable bloomer, and the only thing that mystifies me is why there was only one previous award to this wonderful species 24 years ago and with only six flowers.

Last year I think I had nine, eleven the previous year, and this year fifteen 12.5cm (4.9 inches) flowers. The plant is 24" tall from the top of the medium including the flowers. It is in an 8" clay pot in a mix of half aliflor (clay pellets) and half hand-chopped spagnum moss. Got it as a small seedling years ago, but it didn't bloom until the greenhouse, where I hang it up high for strong light.