White Egret Orchid accent planting… thanks Wolfie.

Sorry to labour the point and pardon my ignorance. but .. What is sgian dubh

will baddeley wrote:Sorry to labour the point and pardon my ignorance. but .. What is sgian dubh

Cummon Will... its a wee knife you keep in your sock to cut back Orchids... keep up

Tony

Just Google it, Man!

A sgian dubh (lit. trans. black knife) is the small dagger worn in the sock of the Highlander. Can't quite make out if Jay is sporting one in his avatar.

There are numerous explanations as to its origin and indeed to its name. Possibly the most plausible is the fact that hospitality etiquette demanded that all weapons be discarded at the door of whoever you were visiting as it would be considered very bad form indeed even for a hairy Hielander to kill your host over the Scotch Broth. However, Scots were too suspicious by nature to relinquish all - hence the dagger concealed in the sock or boot. Use of the word "black" could be either a reference to its hidden nature or it could be a reference to the type of wood used.


White Egret flowers anyone?

What size do the plants get to?

The tall, slender stalks get to about 10-12 inches tall in my experience.

One theory is that the "black knife" was a description of its intended use. When appearing as a guest it was appropriate to surrender such items, pipers stuck them in their hose as a sign that they were not sporting any concealed weapons. Yes, there is one in the top of my right hose, held in place by my hose flashes. Unlike the skaign dubhs of today, which are only decorative and seldom sharp. The one I usually wear is made by a company called Cold Steel and is extremely sharp. It's kind of stupid to carry a dull knife!

I don't own any orchids so far, but I am looking at ordering some this winter. I just received a brochure for The Wild Orchid Company. If he gives me the go ahead I will post it in the forum. Just received an e-mail from Bill Mathis of Wild Orchid. He said it was OK! I will post it as soon as I figure out how!

Up until recently, orchids haven't really caught my eye, but this White Egret is stunning.

Jay

He (Bill Mathis) does clearly state on his site that he sells to the US only...the rest of y'all will need to be more creative!

Sorry Tony but it's the language, it scares the s..t out of me . From the age of 0 to 7 I used to live next door to a Scotsman. I'll explain.... My dad was in the Met Police and as part of the package , they put families in they're own housing. A whole street full of law...imagine that!! Any way we were very friendly with the kids next door, digging holes, building dens playing footie,etc.etc. Their father was a super intendant, and a big man to boot, from the highlands. He would come home friendly enough, laughing and joking,and then hit the Scottish water. When the bagpipes started filling up, me and my brother would usually beat a hasty retreat. If for some reason we could'nt escape, i.e we were upstairs and he was down stairs, pacing up and down,up and down, blowing this bag like he was trying to bringing it back to life!![ Never sounded like he quite managed it].Then one of his five boys would accidently get in the way, come into view, just be in the house !! That was it.. He would launch.. Gaelic flying from every orifice, like the language of Mordor. I've had councillors,psychiatrists.......