It was March of 1990, when we both did consulting for Pond's India Ltd. We stayed at one of the TAJ Hotels in Ooty; the Savoy Hotel. With very nice colonial style cottages that were built between 1834-1865. The India Hotels and Resorts describes that the building once was a school for European children. From its garden we did bring home a tiny starter of this beautiful 'Antique Gown' Exotic Epiphyllum...
From the book Epiphyllum: The Splendor of Leaf Cacti by Marga Leue (see link below post) I did find its name. To my knowledge it resembles the 'Antique Gown'.
Husband Pieter in the garden of the TAJ Hotel Savoy in Ooty, India. We both fell in love with this exotic bloom!
Photo that we took from the Savoy Hotel in Ooty.
This is situated in the Nilgiri district of Karnataka state in India.
The dining room has rosewood paneling...
We always have been pampered by the companies we worked for!
You can find a great photo from the Savoy hotel, Ooty on line, just click this link.
So this is the history of our great 'Antique Gown' Epiphyllum.
On April 18, the day before we traveled by plane to Miami, on our way to Curaçao on the 20th, we spotted these buds! We were hoping that we would not miss them... Photo taken at 9:00 o'clock.
Our return was on May 1, and this photo is taken on May 3.
We made it back in time! Due to very cool weather I guess... and lots of rain.
There were now three buds, one on top and two hanging down...
Our Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) Orchid Cactus is sitting on the same plateau to the left... They both were inside the greenhouse till spring.
On May 5, I could make this photo from the first bloom!
Majestic is this 'Antique Gown'; don't you think so?
Highly fragrant too; it can't come any better than this.
On May 6, the second bloom at the bottom opened up!
May 6, the second bloom with the third one budding out...
This photo I took at 18:30 o'clock.
Detail of 'Antique Gown' on May 6.
On May 11, at 16:00 o'clock I finally could capture the baby of those three 'Antique Gown' Epiphyllum blooms! Quite a show.
It's sister from May 6, already hanging her 'Antique Gown' down...
So for about one week we could enjoy this splendor.
Hope you enjoyed them with us!
To my best knowledge, after consulting our book by Marga Leue, we thought this to be the 'Antique Gown'.
Color varies between sunny days and clouded ones and even the time of the day gives a different hue to those blooms.
By the way, I nearly fainted when I spotted the pricing on Amazon.com for this 1987 book.
Guess we paid about $ 40.00 for it... New one is now $ 479.77!
One never knows how certain things go up in value...
Related links:
Epiphyllum: The Splendor of Leaf Cacti [Hardcover] book by Marga Leue 1987
{Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) Orchid Cactus} | previous post by me
{Did YOU Ever Touch Baby Elephants?} | previous post by me
{Silk and Wool Birds as Gift from Pond's India} | previous post by me
{Birds as Artwork, we bought in India} | previous post by me
{White Indian Jasmine the Queen of Flowers} | previous post by me
what a beautiful bloom.
ReplyDeleteHi Mariette,
ReplyDeleteJust a gorgeous bloom and stunning color. You had very good luck with the starter you brought home. Thank you for sharing this beauty.
Hugs, Celestina Marie
Liebste Mariette,
ReplyDeleteja, diese Kakteen haben wunderbare Blüten!
Danke für die herrlichen Bilder und auch wieder für Deine so lieben Kommentare!
Ich wünsch Dir einen schönen Tag und einen guten Start ins Pfingst-Wochenende!
♥ Allerliebste Grüße,Claudia ♥
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteein Gedicht!
In Liebe
Elisabeth
Che belle foto Mariette!Hai sempre tanti bei luoghi e fiori da farci vedere!Baci e buon fine settimana,Rosetta
ReplyDeleteIt is a beauty indeed, glad you made it in time to watch it blossoming.
ReplyDeleteDeares
ReplyDeleteDear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteSorry about that I am using my iPad and something strange happened.
The flowers on your cactus are so pretty and such a lovely colour.
Wishing you a happy weekend
Hugs
Carolyn
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteWow, GORGEOUS and BEAUTIFUL "Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) Orchid Cactus"♡♡♡ Thank you very much for the wonderful show, my friend♬♬♬
Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletewas für traumhafte Blüten - herrlich anzusehen -
meine Mutter hat auch so schöne Kakteen - ich hab leider
keinen grünen Daumen -
ich wünsche dir schöne Pfingsten -
liebe Grüße - Ruth
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletees sind so wunderschöne Blüten. Wenn diese Kakteen einmal blühen,
dann ist das einfach unbeschreiblich.
Einen wunderschönen Abend wünscht dir
Irmi
Dearest Mariette
ReplyDeleteLucky that the plant feel comfortable in your garden. The flowers're all gorgeous. Sure you afraid to miss them when they bloom.
Have a nice weekend
Kajsa
Hi Mariette,
ReplyDeleteThose are beautiful blooming pink flowers. Wow they are BIG and grand!
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteThose are the most exotic and beautiful blooms! That is a testament to your green thumb to have nurtured and cultivated this amazing plant all the way from India. How fortunate that you didn't miss the bloom time. Thank you for sharing, it is lovely. Hope your weekend is lovely, too! xoxo
What a gorgeous and also elegant flower! I love the way they hang and their leves look very unique.
ReplyDeleteI would love to smell that beauty!
By the way, almost $500 for that new book! I almost fainted, too!
Just beatiful.........love the pink
ReplyDeleteDearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteYour Husband Pieter in the garden of the Taj Hotel savoy in Ooty.
You both fell in love with this exotic bloom Hotel are beautiful looking of TaJ.
You have a beautiful fragrant of bloom.
also I can tell you about you think lots of rain cool weather?
But you having a wonderful weekend both of you.
Thank you for lovely view with us,
Hugs and love to you!
Michiko
Wow! Those blooms are so big and beautiful. And such a lovely way to be reminded of your time in Ooty. Best wishes, Tammy
ReplyDeleteDear Mariette,this is a very interesting post!!And the flower looks so preety!I like the color and the way it blooms!Hope you have a wonderful weekend!Hugs!
ReplyDeleteDimi..
Wundervoll! Meine Mutti besitzt noch immer Blattkakteen, die für daß sie im Zimmer wachsen, eine beachtliche Größe mit den Jahren erreicht haben. Und Dein Post erinnert mich auch so an die herrlich einmalige Blüte der "Königin der Nacht", die meine Mutti ebenfalls besaß. Jetzt hat sie wieder eine Jungpflanze, die allerdings wohl noch ein paar Jahre bis zu ihrer ersten Blüte braucht. Das war immer ein Ereignis, zu dem auch Nachbarn eingeladen waren.
ReplyDeleteAlles Liebe nochmal
Sara
really a nice and interesting post, amazing photos and flowers!!
ReplyDelete