Lady's Slipper Orchid

A good friend of mine in the village invited me round this morning to photograph his Lady's Slipper Orchid.
It is a magnificent specimen. He has just won a first prize with it and a silver cup at an Alpine Garden Show.

Its name is Cypripedium X Emil which means it is a hybrid variety.
It has almost fifty blooms.
I asked him the secret of growing it. His answer was in large part neglect. The pot stand outside all winter against a wall which reflects a little heat.

The extra shows a close up of some of the blooms.
He is also an excellent photographer and I can only hope that he is not too disappointed with my efforts.