Spring Orchids

My last two gardens had ideal growing conditions for orchids. A high canopy of tree cover with dense shade beneath it. The orchids LOVED it! I do not have that same kind of environment in my new garden. The two large oaks that I have are limbed up quite high and too much sunlight filters down beneath them. But, in spite of these conditions my orchids (which I move around seasonally to avoid too much sun) are happily providing me with lots of winter and spring blossoms. 

This Nun's Orchid is a real beauty and has been blooming for several weeks now.

This gorgeous orchid was gifted to me by Nancy - a previous neighbor with a mega green thumb. It's a wonderfully heavy bloomer in spite of any neglect on my part. 

A handful of phaleonopsis bloomers are inside my home where I can enjoy them, and the rest are given a prominent spot on the patio where I can also gaze at them from the inside.

Here are the orchids I'm currently enjoying!

This Week in the Garden

This morning I saw a wonderful thing! Daddy Cardinal brought one of his young uns' to my garden to show him where the food is. After feeding him a safflower seed, the little one followed him to the feeder where they ate breakfast. Dad then flew to the fountain to show him where to get a drink of water. That's the first time I've ever seen that, and I was so in awe of it all that by the time I got my camera they were gone. You can bet that I'll have my camera ready tomorrow!!!!

A new bloom in my garden. This little red hummingbird plant (can't remember the  name) is a shade specimen. It grows to about 3' tall with a loose habit. It very much reminds me of the Firespike plant. What do you think of my purple and red combo? I love using bold colors together that you wouldn't expect. Another favorite color combo is burgundy and apricot.

Finally, caterpillars are taking advantage of two large parsley plants in the garden.

 While I do love having fresh parsley available, I really planted them for the caterpillars to devour.

This red epidendrum orchid is really showing off in the garden these days. They are so easy to grow and once they start blooming, it's non-stop for at least 9 months. They delight in our full summer sun and humidity. 

Here's a close-up view of one of the red balls of fire!

The weatherman promises rain this week. We shall see! Hoping that a healthy dose of it falls on your garden this week!

Late Summer Surprises

Who doesn't love finding wonderful blooming surprises in their garden? I know I do, especially when it involves an orchid plant. My orchids are tucked so far back in my garden beneath the giant trees that I don't often see what they're up to. With all the steady rainfall this summer, I haven't had to venture back in that mosquito-laden area to water them. So, when I decided to walk back and see how they're doing, I was delighted to find these late summer surprises.

The vanda (yellow) and ascocenda (tangerine) orchids are so easy to grow and they bloom at least twice a year. They simply hang in a wood basket with no orchid medium whatsoever. I do believe the white and purple orchid is a Miltonia which is also a very easy orchid to grow and never fails to reward me with a generous amount of blossoms.

Are there any "late summer surprises" lurking in your garden?

Wintering Poolside

During the winter months my orchids get relocated to the patio where they bask in the morning sunlight while lounging poolside. Hey, they are tropical beauties after all. But the best part about having them in view is that I get to enjoy all the wonderful blooms they produce. And, this year they did not disappoint. Perhaps they appreciate their winter home . . . or could it be the extra "tlc" they get because they're so close at hand. Whichever the case, I am always in awe of their perfect beauty and certainly appreciate having them near.

Bloomin Beauties

It might be winter but the orchids sure don't seem to know it or care. We've been lucky enough to be showered with orchid blooms all winter long.

This vanda blooms several times a year. They are one of the easiest orchids to take care of in my opinion...no potting medium necessary. Just place them in a...we use...wood basket and hang them up.

This oncidium has about five 2 foot long sprays of golden flowers dangling from the basket. It's a long bloomer and a hearty multiplier.

This sunny and bright cattleya is also a wonderful bloomer. This orchid hangs right next to the one above, so every time I see them out the window it's like looking at sunshine, especially on a dreary day.

This little guy is also a repeat bloomer. He blooms at least 3 times a year. Very exotic looking...don't you think?

And, this beauty is brand new. My neighbor Nancy (you remember Nancy, right?) and I exchanged some of our fast growing orchids. I gave her a frilly green cattleya and a golden yellow one for this colorful beauty. Plus, it has a really cool looking fern growing in the basket as well...a bonus to me!

Don't worry I do remember to bring these and the rest of the collection inside when the temps drop below 50 degrees. Fortunately, that hasn't been to often this year -- yippee!

Being surrounded by such beauty in the midst of winter makes me a very happy girl.

September at a Glance

~ ~Notes on the September Garden~ ~

What a joy it is to discover that autumn has finally arrived...totally invigorating! The flowers on the native bee balm (a/k/a dotted horsemint) were also a joy to discover.

Lots of critters. . .besides bees. . .seem to like this beauty, too.

The Mexican Bush Sage is back in all its autumn splendor. It  was such a stunning specimen in the island bed last autumn that I decided to. . .

add a second bush on the other side of the bed. 
Now, I get "double the pleasure" when I look at them. 

September days filled the meadow area with drifts of goldenrod,

while the purple fountain grass adds a "fall-ish" feel to the front yard.

Fluttering visitors frolicked happily among all the purple. 

The butterflies, including this Cloudless Sulphur, NEVER pass on the Mexican petunias (sterile variety).

And, the Monarchs are still munching away on the Milkweed.

The vanda orchids seem to love autumn, too. 
Even their color says "autumn."

The Autumn Joy Sedum ~ ~ a passalong plant from my sister-in-law is sporting its autumn crown of flowers that eventually will change to a deeper russet color.  

What a wonderful gardening season is ahead of us now that summer is fading away. 

Worth the Wait

Back in February I did a post entitled Anticipation on a handful of buds that were taking their sweet time to open. Thankfully, all the buds eventually opened much to my delight.

This red kalanchoe is a succulent from my late aunt's garden.

Planted in the ground...it survived the winter with very little damage.

My mom shared one of the offspring from her clivia...a member of the amaryllis family...with me.

It's the first time it's bloomed, and it's a real beauty.

The green onions allium planted in the veggie patch burst into bloom this spring.

 I like these unusual blooms so much that I'm planting seeds throughout my sunny garden beds.

Another passalong plant from my mom...this Nun's orchid is a stunning bloomer with it's large flower stalks.

And, lastly, Belinda's Dream has gorgeous, ruffly blooms that grow larger as they continue to open.

Was the wait worth it? You bet!

Gardening is definitely a lesson in patience!

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Our orchids (many of which have been gifts over the years) are showering us with blossoms this Christmas season.

The early cold weather has mean't that the plants have been spending most of their time indoors where I've been able to enjoy them even more.

And, their scent, especially in the  morning is heavenly. It makes me feel like I'm living in a florist shop.

I'm always amazed that a tightly wrapped bud produces such a large...completely perfect...flower. How that happens is truly a mystery of nature.

 

Both of these orchids are gifts from my mom. As her plants grew larger, she split them and shared them with me. Her same plants are also loaded with blossoms right now. Her light colored one has 10 flowers on it. It's amazing!

They love hanging in the shade of the Live oak, and hopefully they'll be outdoors again for a while before another cold front arrives.

These phaeleonopsis blossoms will last for months.

The cattleya blossoms don't last as long...a few weeks at most, but they are the most beautiful.

Here they are enjoying a good soaking and a little time outdoors in between cold snaps.

I hope all of you will find a "gift that keeps on giving" under your Christmas tree this year. :-)

It's June ALREADY!

I can hardly believe June is here already! The year is humming right along...so much so that I forgot to log my blooming orchids for May.

Three phals from April are still gracing us with their presence. That's the great thing about phals...when they bloom, it's for several months at a time. They provide a lot of bang for my buck!

With unopened buds on a couple of them, it looks likes they'll keep us in blooms for awhile.

Two pretty purple phals have joined the party. I love this speckled...wildly exotic-looking beauty. This phal is a good-sized plant and is sporting many spikes with lots of buds. Nothing makes me happier than to see an orchid pump out lots of gorgeous blossoms.

Here's a close-up of this very pretty orchid flower.

Here's another heavy producer with soft, cool-toned shades of white and purple. I'm always amazed at the variety of orchid blooms available. It's no wonder that people become addicted to such loveliness. Trying to select just one or two is absolutely impossible.

Here's a close-up, so you can enjoy the stripes and softly-smudged purple edges of each petal.

It's always a joy when our vandas (we only have two) come into bloom. And, lucky for us the two we have are prolific bloomers. This plant is truly amazing...growing in a pot with NO dirt, bark or any type of growth medium. It just sits in the pot with its roots completely exposed. What a beauty it is!

And, last but not least our dancing lady has burst into blooms. Talk about a show-off...Wow...that's exactly what she does with 7 stalks, each producing around 116 small yellow and brown flowers. Yes, you read that right...116 flowers on each of the 7 stems. Uh, let's see, that's around 800...give or take a few...flowers on one plant. If I was to suggest one orchid that's easy to grow, blooms several times a year and is very showy...this would be the one.   

That's it for May. Now we'll see what beauties await us in June.