Brent & Becky's has been my favorite bulb source for years now. Consistently excellent plants and great customer service.

I believe, Mike, that there are certain diseases orchids can get where disposal is the only option. The key, I think, is dealing only with reputable orchid growers and dealers. I don't know much about them, but I think it would be a good idea to research a bit, and maybe find out what to look for, etc... It's the same with bulbs... the cheaper, mass produced and sold ones often come with a certain mite or certain diseases, and sometimes the only way to treat it is to isolate the bulb, make sure that's the issue, and then destroy the plant. I've been lucky so far... well, except for the Narcissus Bulb Fly, which I can't really count as it's an insect, and not a disease. There are different issues, though... some viral, some fungal, and some caused by insects, not to be confused with one another. Keeping new plants isolated for a watch period helps, as does keeping conditions sanitary, such as cleaning tools and pots between uses... you know, the usual. Fungal issues and rot, as far as I know, normally occur with over watering... and that's when having an anti-fungal around is helpful... to cut roots back to healthy tissue and apply the anti-fungal as a precaution against more rot while trying to salvage the plant. From what I've read, finding certain diseases in orchids can be quite costly and complicated... where tissue samples must be sent in somewhere and tested. I wouldn't worry overly much... unless you have a huge, expensive, awarded collection... at that point, it might pay to test. But as a hobby grower, I think taking normal care and not being over paranoid is good. I think you're fine, Mike. You're very careful and conscientious, and that's most of it, right there.

TT has them, 1 gal for $14.95. Gardino's at gardinosnursery.com has the Grand Duke in a one-gallon size for $15. Logee's also has them, but Logee's plants are always small. I have bought from all three of these many times over a several year period. I would suggest you get the one-gallon simply because they can take a while to get that size, and Logee's are smaller but not cheaper. I got A grand Duke from TT a few weeks ago. Nice thick plant. They spray them with some iron solution that makes the leaves very ugly for a while, doesn't come off. But the plant itself was big and healthy.

Any lily, tubular or red flower whether shrub or perennial attracts and provides nectar. Some plants are more attractive & if you have a variety of plants with different blooming sequence they will stay in your yard. What really attracts them is moving water from a fountain! A sampling of what I've seen them coming to in order of bloom in my garden rhododedendrons native honeysuckle service berry shrub bleeding heart epimedium lamium - spotted dead nettle foxglove Heuchera fuchsia daylily salvia red hot poker monarda - bee balm anise hyssop or other agastache cape fuchsia, Phygelius phlox, tall fragrant I'm probably forgetting something. Once the bee balms are blooming I can sit out front in a chair and watch them zoom from garden to garden where I've planted different bee balms. The reds are their favorites all summer long. I regularly see them in the morning near the fountains as soon as we put them out again in spring and resting on nearby plant trellis & supports.