Cold Enough For Ya'?

 

Yes, it is. Thanks for asking and commenting on the temps-Every. Single. Day. Fact is, people blathering on about the cold is the only thing I'm truly tired of. What I never tire of is thinking and talking about plants and gardening. So the next time some idiot insists on discussing the weather...

 

 

...I'm gonna tell them "My orchids are doing great, thank you!" The vanillas are still alive, and that is great to me.

                                               New growth at the bottom of the green...

 

...and it's growing longer at the end, too.

                                              Variegated isn't demonstrating any new growth yet....

 

...but there's not a lot of new death, either. Small victories are still wins, right?

 

I'm pleased with the staghorn too, it's got some new growth as well.

 

Pothos here needed a trim...

                                                         ...and now there are three!

                                             The cuttings generally root quite well in water.

                               Last week 'Happy Girl' Phalaenopsis had swollen bloom buds...

                                                  ...and knobby knees forming on her roots.

 

                                                      This week two blooms are open.

                                                                     So pretty!

                             She's bloomed faithfully every year since I bought her, and I'm certainly not tired of seeing these beautiful blooms yet! I saw more phals at Walmart the other day, and based on results I may need to purchase another. I'll keep you posted.

First Snow

 

It's that time-first snow of the year. Amazingly my outdoor annuals and veggies are uninterested and still growing along, unphazed.

 

 

My 'Happy Girl' orchid is done blooming...

 

...but not all of the bloom scape has turned brown. Unfortunately the "budlets" that I'd hoped could become blooms shriveled away.

The previous bloom scape on the left is still green, but not producing an off-shoot or new bloom scape as I'd read it might. I'll leave it alone while it stays green though, along with the green parts of the second scape. After all, everything an orchid does is in slow motion anyway so I'll just wait and see what happens.

                               Meanwhile, I'll trim off the brown shrively parts so it looks nicer.

 

Because another bloom scape is beginning to emerge!

 

My passionflower vine is growing well and rambling around the room, but no sign of blooms so far.

The vanilla orchid experiment isn't going so well, the green leaf has just a small segment still alive. I'm hoping it may survive as an epiphyte, so I mist it daily and run the humidifier...

 

...unfortunately it's too late for the variegated specimen. Not to be deterred, I've already ordered another set. I wants me some vanilla orchids, dammit!

 

Two of my three Christmas cacti are budding....

 

...and the rest of the orchids are doing fine. These two mounts are getting a drink, looking pretty happy and showing good growth.

 

This trio of small specimens are looking good, too. I've been so happy with most of my mounted orchids that I may take these in that direction as well, but for now they look good so I'll leave them be.

 

And these two on the other side of the room are doing pretty well too. They aren't as close to the humidifier though, and I may relocate them soon. I have to consider light intensities and preferences of the plants I swap with, so I'll think on it for awhile.

 

The staghorn fern is a newcomer, so I'm not sure if it looks happy or not. Since it's not dead, I call this a victory for now.

Going into the winter months I won't be adding to the collection after the new vanillas arrive. What I may do is pickup a different gardening project fom my friends at Field and Forest Products, maybe a fun "TeePee" mushroom growing kit to amuse myself until spring. Gotta feed that gardening jones!

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 :)

New Evidence

Here in the Twin Cities there is plenty of snow left...

 

...looks better zoomed a bit closer....

...but it still doesn't exactly scream "spring".

Yet while awaiting a cab the other day I spotted something in this tree....

...with a closer look and some observation with my aging eyes....

...I'm certain it's a robin! He seems bummed about the snow too, but here he is, ready for the warm weather...

...sure hope he's smarter than that groundhog!