Dragon's Orchid Garden

It has been about 7 years since the orchid bug bit us and we have gone completely and irrevocably bonkers for orchids.  Thank you so much, Carl and Gladys, for giving me my first orchid that did not die.  This is that dancing lady oncidium after a few years.  It is in bud now, and has been divided into three plants. From orchids I am not one of those fastidious collectors who carefully label each plant.  No...tags which come with them get lost.  Squirrels steal them.  I'm sure of it.  The lack of documentation makes it a pleasant surprise each time one of the unlabeled orchids bloom.  This cattleya was a gift without a tag.  It had buds which ended up opening up into beautiful ruffled peach blossoms.  It has a faint sweet smell. From orchids Last weekend found us at the USF Botanical Gardens annual Spring Plant Show & Sale.  Our intention was to buy some landscaping plants for the front yard, to which we pay absolutely...

With the return of warm weather, I am out taking pictures of flowers.  It is late afternoon and the sun is shining just so through the purple spotted phalaeonopsis, setting it aglow. From Sunlight through Orchids  

The temperatures have been yo-yoing for the past month, causing us to move plants, cover plants, bring them indoors, then move them out again.  A few plants really like the cooler and even cold temperatures. From Blogger Pictures This is Brsdm. Golden Gamine 'White Knight', purchased at Louis DelFavero's in the summer. From Blogger Pictures The tiny blooms of this 'mystery orchid' (we have quite a few that have lost their markers, the squirrels take them), is an oncidium, I think.  It's full of little flowers and has a faint sweet scent. From Blogger Pictures Double White Angel Trumpets   made it through the cold as we covered them with a frame and sheets.  We have quite a few different kinds of bromeliads, gingers, heliconias, and ferns.  The newest addition to our ferns comes from my friend, Penny Titus.  She brought me a starter Rabbit's Foot Fern, and gave me instructions on how to get it to root .  I can't wait for fronds!  W...

Today was a perfect autumn day for central Florida. It wasn't so humid that you felt slapped in the face by a warm wet blanket when you stepped outside. The sun didn't scorch. Tonight, it may even dip into the 60's. Wayne and I spent some time fertilizing, pruning, repotting. We repotted a Madagascar Palm that was becoming top heavy in a too small pot. That took a heavy old blanket, thick leather welder's gloves and a trowel to loosen the roots. I also repotted an Amazon Lily that Tom from work traded me for a Voodoo Lily. I can't wait to see it bloom. Several orchids are blooming now. With something like 130 of them, several are always blooming! From orchids O. Sharry Baby has the aroma of chocolate covered cherries. From orchids V. Golmaco's blue magic has large blue flowers that last for weeks. From orchids C. Chocolate drop 'Volcano Queen' with its waxy shiny red petals is really stunning. From Garden Madagascar Palm in its new pot. From...