Amorphophallus titanum bloom
Joyce Miller (Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:02:50 PDT)

Dear Ronald.
Got your message. Actually, I am not a particular fan of "Ted" but in
flower it is quite a magnificent spectacle -- sort of like a giant
Elizabethan collar. At the time I saw "Ted" I was a volunteer with the
conservatory. I was their "orchid lady." It took me four years to work
through all the orchid pots that had not been repotted since 1999.
Sometimes, when I tipped a plant out the medium bark we used had broken down
and looked like peat moss. In orchids, this can result in a possible toxic
acidity. I used to tease Ernesto, then curator, that he never made a fuss
over when one of "my" beautiful orchids bloomed, but he made a big PR effort
over a stinky plant. Of course, I understood the importance of publicity
for the conservatory.
Best wishes, Joyce Miller, Gresham, Oregon, U.S.A.