Tropical Zone Gardening: I couldn't resist, my new orchid tree, 1 by extranjera

extranjera wrote:
Thanks goofybulb. So far it looks happy where I've put it, I'm spraying it with water every day because we are in our dry season and the humidity is down around 50% with hot dry winds.

Mérida is on the northern tip of the Yucatan peninsula of México, about 20 miles inland from the Gulf coast. It is the capitol of the state of Yucatán, one of 3 states on the peninsula of the same name. We are the top of the 'thumb' of Mexico that separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Carribbean. Sea level, warm to hot most of the time with a distinct rainy and dry season. Our rains usually start in June or July and extend through the end of November but last year they started late and we are in a drought now. Generally the hottest times of the year are May to June or whenever the rains start but we had a week of 40°C+ (104°F) temps at the end of March this year. I hope the drought does not continue, we need the rains to come on time. I live in an old colonial stone and mortar house in the historical center of the city, I have a pond and pool in the back but not a lot of garden space so most of my plants are in pots on terraces. Currently I have some giant bamboo and heliconia along the back wall and we are planning on replacing the stone outside terrace with more plants and a smaller hardscape.

Most of my energy this past month has been towards getting the outside pond working and planted. I was fortunate to meet a important importer and collector of tropical water lilies and I just got 5 named beauties from him for the pond. N. 'Director GT Moore', N. 'Foxfire', N. 'Red Cup', N. 'Wood's Blue Goddess' and a species N. capensis. I'm not actually sure about the species until it blooms as he wasn't sure and my research shows a different pad color. It will be wonderful whatever it is though.

This is a bad time to plant in the ground and so I'm putting off re-doing the garden until the rains start. It's a good excuse anyway, I really don't have the time or energy right now.

Here's a pic of the pond after I got the lilies planted yesterday.