This thread is for orchid enthusiasts to share photos of other plants they are growing. Feel free to add your photos. Those of us in more tropical climes can provide some encouragement and cheer to those orchid growers that may soon be snowed under!
Jeremy
Nice series Jeremy! Here's where we came from http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1045099/
Thanks, boojum! I forgot to include the link to the previous thread so I appreciate that you added it.
Photo: Aristolochia fimbriata. No flowers on it currently, but it does flower every year in summertime. I thought this was a Florida native plant, but I just checked and it is native to South America. It is a host plant for Pipeline Swallowtail butterflies, but I've never found any caterpillars on my plant.
Jeremy
Yer welcome, didn't want anyone to miss what came before!
Pretty leaves on that plant.
Yes, I've had to play catch up. Thanks Booj. I've spent the day hacking back tropical encroachments including the living fence.
Jeremy, you and Stu were missed. Hopefully we can make plans when you visit Atlanta again. I was looking forward to meeting Jim, but thought the orchid shopping would not be up my quirky alley. Well, the day was a pleasant surprise and we only made it two growers. Of course the stop at the vermiculture farm where DH's hand was mangled by Cujo was unexpected as well. Should we trust a place that advertises "Wonder Worms"?
I've not mentioned here a special present from Jim. It's a ceramic 'rock' that says "I'm At Peace In My Garden". Ain't it the truth! What a great day. Wanna get together on the way back Jim? lol
Hi, Laurel! EEEK! DH hand mangled by the mad dog, Cujo?! Did that require stitches, hospital care?
I found my small garden stone at Jo-Ann's stores several years ago. Its slogan suits me well:
"Time is Precious. Waste it Wisely." LOL
Is this what you mean by a "tropical jungle" in need of hacking? All my garden stroll invitations include "BYOM" (bring your own machete). LOL
Jeremy
This message was edited Nov 10, 2009 10:24 AM
Since there was no doctor in the house, and no hospital in the area, he had to make due with a nurse (me). He got great wound care and bandaging but little coddling. I did obtain pertinent triage information like, "Where's the insurance policy again?" It's healing
You're photos are gorgeous! Don't know much about brugs, but thumbs up on that pink blushed one. I need some new landscape material for here. Might sneak into your garden with a machete while your sleeping.
Sure Laurel. Perhaps you could stop at the house. Tell Steve there are no dogs here. :>)
Jim
Poor Steve!
Kathy, I forgive you if you're referring to his care. I'm really the best (especially if you're having a baby). lol I got him to take deep breaths instead of swearing and yelling like he had Turrets.
Jim, wheels are spinning. I'll DMail
Naw, not the care. Just all our talk about the poor guy. He can't even sneeze back at us!
Hi this is Steve,
Thanks for kind expressions regarding my unbelievably traumatic run-in with that crazed mad dog at the Apopka Wonder Worm Farm. After having been chewed to a bloody pulp by the mad beast, Nurse Laurel took charge and put her critical care training to use. I'm fine and healing well.
That's good news Steve. And you've infiltrated DG. Pretty impressive!
Hey Steve, if you stop here, don't try to pet the gators in our lake. :>)
Jim
Ha-ha-hatchi! So Steve did!
Glad to hear your hand is fine!
I am suspicious enough to believe there is a cover-up going on here: Did poor mauled Steve really make the post with his only remaining good hand or has Laurel lauded her own nursing skills under a pseudonym??! Enquiring minds want to know! LOL
Photo: Some wild Ageratum (probably A. houstonianum or possibly A. corymbosum) with an Alpinia ginger leaf in the background.
Jeremy
That was Mad Dog Steve. Thank goodness for his sense of humor. He thought he felt water dripping on his shoulder while we were driving down to Miami. I suggested it might be rabies. I had to tape his index and middle fingers together to close the wound and told him it was like grafting trees. If they grew together he'd get the best of both fingers.
So beds were mulched, trees pruned and hedges trimmed today. I found several coconuts in the brush to take home for orchid pots and husk. The ixora behind me was growing over the grill and a ten foot volunteer ficus was embedded in the brick. Epiphytes seem to favor dead ixora branches. Maybe I should save them for twig epiphyte orchids?
I cleaned out raised planters in the front yard, trimmed palm fronds and pondered what to do about volunteers. Suddenly, Cujo Dbl. Jr appeared out of no where and started drinking my water!
And thinking lightening could never strike twice (besides which he still has a left hand)...
I acquired several big cuttings, with lots of roots, of Hoya compacta (Indian Rope Hoya) and planted them in the back yard planter.
It's not my garden, but want to share this amazing staghorn fern at Fuchs orchids. The front of their property is like a park with exotic plants and native trees.
A close up.
Glad to see Steve isn't afraid to hop back on the bicycle-er-pet the dog.
And wow! What else was there at Fuchs??
What makes you think I did anything else at Fuchs, Kathy? lol Okay we'll be eating tofu helper for the next few months. Nothing as showy as Jim's new acquisitions though.
1. Bulbo hirtum ( adding spikes daily)
2. Bulbo vaginatum
3. Gastrochilus dasypogon
4. Den. tangerinum
5. Den macrophyllum
6. Den. violceoflavens
Though Fuchs is a huge grower and hybridizer of Vandas and Cats, I can't resist those species orchids when I can find them.
I'm going smaller and smaller myself!! I'd do exactly the same. Now to look those up....
Laurel, that fern in the photo is the Elkhorn, Platycerium bifurcatum. They develop as a clump of many plants. The Staghorn is Platycerium superbum. That develops as a large single plant.
Well, I am glad to know Steve is the party responsible for the post and that he has skill at one-hand typing!
Laurel, I finally got around to potting up the Rhipsalis salicornioides (my guess at an I.D.) and Indian Rope Hoya you gave me when I was in the Atlanta area a few weeks ago. They seemed not to suffer any from the neglect and were still as fresh as when I received them. I think they both will do well. Thanks again for your generosity!
Photo: Red Hibsiscus
Jeremy
Thanks for the correction Tropic.
It's an age think, Kathy, were shrinking. Do you go here? http://www.orchidspecies.com/
Jeremy, with your gardening talent they'll do great. I'm hoping I can do the Den That Ate Chicago and Greensleeves justice.
I re-potted and mounted orchids for the neighbor. In return she gifted me with several orchid divisions and a few tropicals. Here's a Jatropha seedling in one of her quirky pots. Never grown this but see them as bonsai type houseplants. Anyone have a big one? Do they grow fast or slow? How many years before this baby flowers?
Cute Jatropha podagrica! They flower on very small plants, probably ca. 2 - 3 years old. I have a good size mother plant which has a lot of seed pods right now. They like to pop and catapult the seeds all over the place. I always find the germinated dicotyledons in the strangest places. The first time that happened I was wondering why had a cucumber ( !) seedling sprouting in an Encyclia pot.
They don't grow that fast for me because I let them go pretty much dormant over the Winter and let them drop all the leaves.
Talking about the Staghorn/Elkhorn. I am reminded of my plant which outgrew a corner of the living room, wound up in a backroom and then had to be relocated to a large commercial nursery.
http://www.kammlott.net/Staghorn.html
My mother plant is budding after the big leaves dropped off. This baby with leaves is 2 years old. The seeds are a riot!
I have the Jatropha paragrina in my garden, both the common red and the rare pink varieties. They get to about 12 feet tall but frost will knock them back a bit in the winter. They are easy to grow but watch for mealy bugs. They bloom constantly.
Jim
