The Orchids Are Coming Along

 

Phalaenopsis Happy Girl is still going strong, blooming since May 22nd with no sign of slowing down. It's just amazing how long these blooms can last without wilting, I don't know how she does it. The bloom scape gets heavy too, so I decide to provide some support so the plant doesn't get stressed...

 

 

...there! Much perkier...

 

...every bit as lovely.

 

So many blooms!

 

In this tray Cattleya 'Summer Spot Carmela', Cattleya 'Hawaiian Passion Carmela', and Tolumnia 'Tequila Sunrise' are looking healthy. This is a big relief....

 

...because I accidentally fertilized them with regular water and "Algoflash" fertilizer. See the mineralization on the rocks? That's evidence of my crime, lesson learned to always mark the distilled water jugs that I use for other things after they're empty. D'oh!

 

This nice mounted Oncidium Aliceara 'Alice' is growing well...

 

...I find the mounted orchids easiest to care for without over-watering. Just soak in a shallow dish of distilled water once a week or so.

 

Lots of healthy growth!

 

Same for Brassavola nodosa, fragrant Lady of the Night orchid. She's pretty much doubled in size since I got her. For some reason I'm having trouble finding info on what to do when a mounted orchid out-grows its mount, but I presume you just mount the mount to a bigger mount. I'll formulate a plan soon and we'll see what happens.

Maxillaria Tenuifolia on driftwood is doing okay, but the wood doesn't hold water well so I water it up to twice a week (depending upon the humidity in the room.) Cymbidium 'Suzie Q' is nearby, and gets Max's runoff for water. Suzie has new growth as does Max, so I'm content with the results so far...

...although blooms are the ultimate prize. All in good time, as they say.

Late Summer Hort Happenings

 

My african violet is blooming beautifully! More amazing is the color...

 

 

...it's way different than the color they usually are, the most recent blooming just this past March (and the only color it's ever been the whole time I've owned this plant!) Wonder what it will do next time?

Outdoors the planters are pleasantly surprising, with volunteer tobacco plants blooming well...

 

....but this pot has mostly weeds. Time for some "fall plantings"!

 

I soaked some nasturtium seeds overnight, this variety is 'Moongleam' with pretty yellow flowers.

I'm also planting some 'Afina' cutting celery, purple podding radish, 'Pistou' basil, 'Quick Stir Fry Blend' greens, and slow-bolting cilantro.

                                                      Nasturtium goes with the tobacco...

 

...and hopefully will mature and flower before the tobacco is done.

 

The rest of the seeds were planted all together is groups, and the very next day some germinated!

 

Too crowded already...

 

...so the first thinning commences.

 

Indoor project is a last-ditch effort to see this lovely spring-blooming cactus look like it did in May of 2010...

...rather than the way it does now. *Sigh*  I'm not sure exactly what went wrong, but I'm going to try growing this barely alive speck in orchid fashion. (I think I read somewhere that people mount these like tropical orchids, and it's dying anyhow so why not? :)

So I pulled it up, got some green and spanish moss, and wet it with distilled water like I do with orchids. I'll buy a cork bark or wood mount to put it on and see what happens. Heck, if it dies I may buy a new one and mount it just to prove (or disprove) my own point.

 

The indoor tomato looks mighty sad...

                                                                 ...so a pruning is done...

...and out it goes! This is another what-the-heck-it's-dying-anyway experiment. This plant will be further challenged by the ridonkulous heat over the next week or so, however.

 

Even Galileo here doesn't have enough temp ballons to show the mid to upper 90's we're getting. God speed and good luck Mr. tomato!

 

Grow or die. It's the general theme around here :)

Cactus Action

 

Something is happening with my cactus! I noticed these tentacle-like sprouts coming out the sides...

 

 

...bloom scapes, perhaps? The process hasn't changed in appearance for about two weeks now...I'll keep you posted.

 

Nearby the other cacti look pretty good, especially after 2 years in sheet-filtered southern exposure.

This lithop looks alright, but rather sad as well (likely due to the shallow nature of this container-I'd read lithops like to form a nice long taproot.) The plan is to grab a nice small sedum or two to put here, then pair this lithop with a cactus in a tall pot. At least it's not failing yet.

 

These are happily forming fruiting bodies...

 

...even in this fairly shallow pot.

The taller cacti are definately kind of gangly from the lack of direct sun...

 

...but overall things are fine in the cactus portion of my indoor jungle.

 

Only exception is this aloe here. I find aloes kinda tricky in general, although agave respond great for me. I have no idea why, but I'll murder the weaklings until I get it right.

 

 This cactus looks the most un-like it normally would with direct sun, but it seems healthy enough. I've been a reformed cactus-rotter for several years now, so live cacti in general feels like a victory to me.

Much as I miss good outdoor growing space, I am still a real gardener-albeit on a different scale. Gotta take what you can get sometimes...lemonade...all that crap  :)

What I Did On My Summer Vacation Part 2

More Montana! Here's a wildflower that I'm pretty certain to be 'Fire Weed'...

 

 

...lovely blooms!

 

Very low-growing wildflower, aster of some sort?

 

Love this orange!

 

Plenty of life-sized bonsai on the rocks here...

 

...and a western cousin of 'Goat's Beard' that we have in Wisconsin.

 

I like this twig fence at a local community garden...

 

....and the cool worm artwork on this branch.

 

This looks like 'Bearberry" to me, but I've not taken the time to look things up for a certain ID.

 

This is definately wild geranium, though.

 

Lovely yellow wildflower...

 

...and a wicked cool thistle! Many regard thistle as weeds, but if bees like it- I like it! Looks very pretty too, IMO.

 

The community garden in their neighborhood has some well-maintained plots for sure...

 

...with huge leeks! My only attempt to grow these yielded chive-size results, but this gardener has it down for sure.

 

Happy sunflower...

 

...likely due to this pollinator garden nearby. Good call!

They say "If you plant it, they will come" with regard to pollinators...

 

....from the look of this garden...

 

....that's the absolute truth!

 

Love this! I think it's tansy...

...and this is a lamb's ear of some sort (I think-please feel free to comment with solid info :)

 

Of course the bees don't need a guide book to spot the tasty pollen.

Beautiful blue wildflower, reminds me of forget-me-not, but I'm pretty sure it's not.

 

Now this I recognize! It's snowberry-I have it growing very well in my yard in Wisconsin, too.

 

Interesting take on a raised bed here...

 

...and what's this? Could it be a "scare-mingo"?

 

Montana bumper crop!

Great trip! Now I want to go and see it in the winter, though there won't be any garden-related images then. (I don't have to blog everything I guess :)