Winter Interest

orchidfancy---

Oncidium blooms always look like little Dutch girls...very cute!

Beautiful orchids!!! I have never been successful with orchids. I think my house is too dry in the winter time even when humidifiers are on.

donnerville, I have no special humidifier. But this is my first winter with them and it is so mild, it hasn't really tested them that way. The little Phalea.. I bought last spring was in bloom, grew to about 3-4 times its size over summer outside in the shade, and over the fall and winter has grown a bloom stem about the size of the one that came on it. It seems 'very easy' to me, sorry it hasn't been so happy for you.

I had copied this orchid info from somewhere for the easiest orchids to grow...still haven't gotten one yet, but that is one of my goals☺
Moth Orchids
Moth orchids are some of the least expensive, most common, and longest-blooming orchids available. In fact, one bloom spike can look great for four months or more. The flowers appear in shades of white, pink, red, green, yellow, orange, and purple.
How to Grow Them: Give moth orchids (Phalaenopsis selections) a spot in low, medium, or bright light and water weekly or every other week. Promote more and larger blooms by feeding moth orchids monthly with a fertilizer formulated for orchids. The plants do best in temperatures from 50 to 75F.
Here's a Hint: A drop in temperatures helps encourage them to bloom.
Dendrobium Orchids
Dendrobium flowers, often seen at florists in bouquets, offer long-lasting blooms (they stay looking good for a month or more) in a wonderful array of colors from white to purple, pink, and even green.
How to Grow Them: Dendrobium selections prefer a spot in medium to bright light. Water them weekly or every other week and fertilize them monthly with a plant food formulated for orchids. They do best in temperatures from 50 to 70F.
Here's a Hint: Hundreds of dendrobiums are available; the most common types keep their foliage all year and bloom on new stems.
Oncidium Orchids
Sometimes called dancing lady orchids, oncidiums offer lots of colorful smallish flowers in clusters of 50 or more. They commonly appear in shades of yellow, purple, red, pink, and white, often with flamboyant, contrasting markings.
How to Grow Them: Oncidium selections do best in medium to bright light. Water them weekly or every other week and feed them monthly in spring and summer with an orchid fertilizer. They do best in temperatures from 50 to 75F.
Here's a Hint: Some oncidium orchids are wonderfully fragrant -- watch for them to add an even more delightful note to your indoor garden

and-----
Never plant orchids in any kind of soil mix! They like the loose, chunky bark and big globs of Perlite kind of a mix.
Try not to get any water on the blooms. It can cause bloom to drop off.

Not sure watering once a week is a good idea.....maybe you can mist the roots for moisture?

I have never grown Orchids. This is just learn-as-you-go acquired knowledge. Like 80% of everything I know.

Gita

Jen thanks for the notes!
Yes the blooms on my beginner Phalea_ stayed on forever and not wilted. Almost started to think it was somehow a fake, and also get a little bored by it. In spring I moved it to a larger pot with bark.
The Phal has thick fleshy leathery leaves and the Dendrobium has fat stems and sort of fleshy leaves. This helps remind me that they don't need lots of water, as they conserve it in those parts. THink of the contrast to your moisture loving ferns with tissue thin leaves (that drop all over the house in winter)

You're welcome


Sorry took so long to get this pic
Dwarf Golden Threadbranch Cypress

Don't know how noticeable it is in the pic but the Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki' has a nice red tinge to it

Orchids are a lot easier to work with and grow than many other plants. they do not mind getting wet their blooms wet so long that they are not in the sun. They like a nice lit room with indirect sun sheers work. They can tolerate the sun in the winter. The best way to get them to bloom is to lower the temperature at night by at least 5 degrees. Dendrobriums require to be very cool in order to bloom with a minimum temperature of 40 degrees at night . With orchids it is all about knowing about where they come from and this dictate their requirements. Enough about orchids picture of my paphiopedilum (lady slipper orchids.)

Here is one of my favorite winter sights the trumpet vine arbor covered with either ice or snow. This was taken a few days ago after a nice snow fall.

Love it

The frosting of snow is such a fun change of scenery.

Yet another fragrant, winter blooming shrub
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1158/
I know someone who grows it near Annapolis and loves it.

Here is our Mahonia, Still pretty small but give it a few years.

I have this one Heurchera that is still looking pretty good. I guess protected area and mild winter. I love the look of it with the variegated ivy.

That Heuchera and ivy looks good for winter, must be great in season!!

I spent a little time grooming my small moss bed. It is right by the front door and it is looking really good right now with all the damp cool weather.

I love the moss. This time of year it lends those lovely shades of yellowy to 'mossy' green in parts of my yard...that would be bare dirt otherwise I guess.

I love moss also!!!

I always keep a pot of Oxalis as house plant over winter.

Sally---

ALL my Purple Oxalis are still going Gung Ho! Maybe--because I keep watering them--and we have not
really had a winter. They could go dormant if you allowed it--but if you keep them watered--
they will keep on growing--and, even blooming....
I have given 2 pots to a fellow associate at HD--and hers are doing the same...

What a GREAT plant to have!!!! The color is unbelievable! Mix it in yout containers and window-boxes.

This is from last summer.....June, 2011. My Purple Oxalis and my Easter cactus....

Oxalis was a weed in our commercial cutting houses, it grew under all the slat benches. The first time I saw it as a cultivated house plant I thought it was a joke. LOL Ric

Holly, you are getting Oxalis at the swap this year LOL!!! There are probably 500 Oxalis corms between me and Gita :-).

Yes I will probably want more. I did go and rescue some from the pot once I realized that you could do that but it was only one plant and I'm not too sure how it stored over for me. So I will be looking for a couple of those this year.
I saw the bag with them in the other day when I was getting out the Ornamental Sweet Potatoes and thought about potting them up and seeing if they will grow. I think I might do that sometime soon.
Gita those pots look beautiful.

Gita gifted me a baby pot of that Easter cactus
: ^)

Sally--You are just soooo special....:o) I am hoping you "might" see at least ONE bloom on it in May.

Several of you may also get the Brazilian Plume Flower at Holly's Swap. WHY????

I had this "AHA" moment from 2 years ago--when my whole, big pot of this plant
got blown or knocked over, breaking off every single branch at the base--and I
threw out all the pieces.

The Mama plant grew very well last summer. So--I gathered, that it actually LIKES to be cut back.
Before bringing it in last fall, I cut it back--and, just for the heck of it, I stuck all the cut off pieces
in the soil next to the stem.
YUP! They are all growing. Need to re-pot Mama anyway soon. She is very root-bound.
Did not bloom all that much last summer....
Will then pull up all the babies and pot each one up for sharing. Gotta do it soon!

Here--don't you just love it?

pictures 1$2--whole Braz. Plume plant---from 2007
Pics 3&4--today--to show you the B. Plume pot with rooted cuttings

As for "Winter Interest"--I just have a couple pictures to offer. Taken just now.

1--My Nandina by the shed is pretty all winter long. (ignore my rusty wheelbarrow)..
2--My perennial Ferns still look green and fresh
3--Crocus in my Yuk Bed
4--Mini-Daffs ready to pop
5--My self-seeded Snow drop. Need to move this--it is on my lawn.

Oh Gita, I am lusting after that Braz. Plume plant. I lost mine years ago and have never replaced it.

Well--Holly---STOP lusting.....I hear you!!!!
I am sure you will get one! As well as one of my Clivias.....I will make sure you do!

NOW! Are you guys collecting rocks for me?????? I sent you a D-mail....have not heard back....

Happy Spring! Gita

Oh Gita, Must have gotten interrupted when I was sending it. I thought I had answered you. Yes we have lots of rocks for you to choose from.

Brazilian Plume sounds like a fabulous plant
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/643/

Gita, you need rocks? Any type/colour/shape/size in particular? I wanna collect some for you tooooooooo! (You can even have a couple that fall outta my head!) =)

LOL

Save some of those rocks for me!!!

Jen, Holly was giving them away at the last swap? How'd you miss the boat? LOL

Sally--

Thanks for the PF link. I read all the comments--they are ALL positive!

OK! Here are my couple of mistakes I have been putting this plant through.

--I have kept it in full sun!!! Wrong!
--I have NOT re-potted it at all, Now knowing it can be a woody, small tree,
I can just imagine how root-bound it must be.

Have to do all the re-potting asap. And--then potting up the new cuttings.

I bought this plant at Rawlings Conservatory. They root and sell plants.
Usually, you can see them displayed in the front entry room where the greeter sits.
maybe........5-6 years ago???

I am bracing myself re all people that will want one....... but--I will only have so many!

Gita

I'm also looking for rocks!

Anything from the size of apples all the way to watermelon size.

Please let me know if you'd rather have me come to your place and pick them up so that you don't have to bring them to the spring swap.

Gita- just note that the full sun warnings come from Florida owners.

Terry, how's your ankle doing?

I tend to pick up rocks wherever I go. I like to search for really perfectly round or oval rocks at the river. They are more rare AND more common than you might think. We had a huge choice of local ugly rocks when they dug up the new development behind us.

Jen, I still have those rocks from my parents house that you were interested in. If you bring a truck you can have as many as you want. Those are mountain stone. My local rocks are red stone.

Sally, thank you for asking. I'm doing so much better!

I'm moving around pretty well and the swelling has really gone down. There's still only one pair of shoes I can fit into!

I don't mind ugly rocks. :-) I just need them to hold the soil back in my sloping back yard.