New Orchids in my house

I visited the Metropolitan Lawn and Garden show again in February. This time I spent nearly the entire time with the orchid vendors. And, again, I was jazzed. It's really kind of strange how fascinated I am by flowers!

So I walked away with two orchids and here they are.

Paphiopedilum

This one is a lady slipper orchid. I love the deep maroon color. But possibly the best part is the foliage. the mottled leave are gorgeous. And, since this orchid will only bloom about once every nine months or so, enjoying the foliage might be important. I heard it has nearly the same requirements as my two Phalaenopsis. All I know is that it looks really nice sitting in the tray of pebbles with them.

Epidendrum

My other new addition is this interesting beauty. It loves the outdoors and I hear grows new shoots like crazy. I already have one showing up since bringing it home. And each new shoot will bear a spray of these pink and white flowers. Compared to most other orchids the individual flowers look upside-down.
















Look closely here and you can see what I mean. And besides that, isn't it awesome that you get so many!  I placed the plant where I can see it through the window when I walk up to my front door. It just makes me smile to see them. The plant itself is really tall, the stalks are held up by a hoop that wraps around a stake. According to the grower, if I repot this in a heavy enough pot, it would flop over and be pretty trailing from a shelf. I'm planning to give that a try.

Happy nearly spring wishes - my crocus are blooming already :-)

Begonias in my sunroom

The begonias in my sunroom are thriving this winter. The one on the left is a gift I received from a friend last summer. She called it a watermelon begonia. I assume it got it's name because the leaves are a glossy green with a lighter green vein. It has been blooming now for about a month and, with more stalks forming, looks like I'll have blooms to enjoy all winter.

The begonia on the right is called The Fairy. It was an impulse purchase at my favorite local garden center, Colonial Nursery. I nearly killed it with lack of water over the summer. But I think it has recovered.

In November I saw wild begonias growing in Costa Rica and these remind me of them. The wild ones were growing on a rocky outcrop near the ocean and their flowers were almost exactly like those of the Watermelon begonia.

So with the position and culture the wild begonias enjoyed in mind, I planted these two begonias very high in a light, peaty medium and I water them sparingly.

I think it's working!

Tomato seedlings

Pink Brandywine and Pineapple tomato seedlings

Here is a quick snapshot of my first try at starting tomatoes from seed. I have one flat of an heirloom variety called Pink Brandywine and another of my favorite from last summer called Pineapple (it was incredibly sweet). It took them about 5 days to come up and I left them covered for about a week. They have been uncovered now for a few days.

Next weekend the plan is to move them to individual jiffy pots. They should be easy to share with my friends and neighbors that way. Truly, I wasn't expecting the seed packets I purchased would contain so many. But if they all live and grow well, it will be a lot of fun to have something to share.

Next weekend I'll also attempt to start some peppers. I've collected some seeds from the bright yellow and red peppers I bought at the store. It should be a fun experiment.

Revival

Ah, the dead of winter. The cold and dry, the bright and bitter, here again to make us wait. And this, a warm day, the whisper of Spring to melt the snow and blow it's moist breath through my bare garden. I am happy to walk in the mud and to see again into my pond, to fill my birdfeeders in my pajamas without risking frostbite.

I've been away for a while. Life has changed, so has my garden. But, whatever changes, whatever comes or goes, I keep watching and my garden is still with me. The squirrels still nest in my maple, the white throated sparrows still like the yew outside the window by my desk.

My sunroom is finally the haven it was intended to be. It's warmth has been a comfort, through the Fall and Winter, through the changes. It's nearly time to grow again.