Whats still in bloom today!

Plumerais,been in bloom for ever it seems,not complaining mind you,enjoying there sweet fragrance as well,but there finally winding down now.

Cat. Summer Spot

Hibiscus,Tropical Plum

Bougie Purple Queen just coming into bloom

Tropicman
I saw this morning on the national weather that your low temps for tonight will be in the mid- twenties, so hope your heaters are working for you. What heat system did you finally use? Great looking pictures.
Oldude

Thanks
I use both Electric and natural gas,if the temps are mild,the electric oil filled radiator
,keeps one greenhouse just fine,if it falls below 45* the thermostat for the gas heaters kick on and bring the temps up to about 65*
I have electric baseboard heaters in the sunroom,right under the windows,same here if it gets cooler than the heaters can warm the room,gas hearter kicks on,same with my other 2 greenhouse.
I prefer the electric heat,so does the plants,but we had 2 to 3 inches of snow lastnite and temps were at freezing or below and the gas heaters kicked on just fine,and did there job,
snow is all melted now and 41* here,and the sun is shining and the greenhouses are up in the mid to high 70*s inside.

I thought this was interesting today. It's a bloom on purple passion ; Gynura aurantiaca

This past year I got a better camera and have enjoyed being able to take high resolution pictures, enlarge them, and see parts of the bloom that I have never seen before.

But , I wonder if I shouldn't pinch off the blooms?

Tropicman, That orchid is just drop dead gorgeous! Wow!

Pinch off might bring more flowers on?

Thanks it's a real pretty orchid!

KathyJo, great picture. I never saw anything like it.

Tropicman, I envy your orchids. I am thinking about buying an Orchidarium to try to grow some, but it is so pricey. I was going to put in on my work table in the GH, but I think the days that are really warm out there would just cook them. I think I am destined to just enjoy going to the Orchid forum and drooling over others efforts.


The greenhouse is producing some nice color now. It was cold and rainy today so I only potted up a few more hippeastrum for late winter color as this is virtually an unheated GH. We have a wood stove in the house that we ran some of the chimney pipe back into one end of the GH for a little evening heat before venting it back into the chimney. So it gets pretty cold at times. I am hoping for a good sunny day soon, so I can be happy working out there. Lots to do ( no pictures of the mess at the far end). The Jades are starting to bloom. Love that. Here is a collage of what is going on in my glass world today Patti

bbrookerd, What type of tree is in the back in the top middle picture?

What a beautiful jade!

KathyJo, That is a Hibiscus that we trained into a tree and have had it since around 1977. It was in my DH office and dieing from all the smokers and lack of care, so when we built this GH in 1983 we moved it to that corner. It was very pitiful for a while. Since then I have killed others with much more interesting colored flowers than plain red, but this one is so faithful and happy that I would be so sad to lose it.

My DH loves Jades, they are everywhere. Way too many. If I prune them, he roots them. Jaded out! Patti

Hi Patti,
I see your a big fan of succulents plants and cactus,I have a few myself,I also see your orchid cactus setting a flower,and along with your Xmas cactus in bloom,mine just finished.
But from what I can see you have the perfect place right there for growing orchids,if you can get those things to bloom,so will the orchids!
Don

Kathyjo- yes pinch off those blooms. Means it's going to come to the end of it's life cycle on those if you let thrm bloom. Besides they kinda smell... So I would pinch the blooms and take cuttings.

Tropicman, I can get, with luck, some cymbidiums that we have had for many years to bloom. But all the other orchids we have tried seem to suffer from the wild temperature fluctuations. They live fine, but never re-bloom. For now I will just go and visit Boojum and see her collection or just read the orchid forum on DG and be happy.

I love your pictures. I wish I would bit the bullet and heat ours, but it was built first as a solar collector, than secondly as a GH and thirdly as a eating space. Plus Nantucket has one of the highest heating costs in the country, so I would have to play the lottery and win. I have plenty that thrives in it so I can't complain. Patti

Patti,
Do they bloom during the spring or summer time,since it is warmer then and the days get longer meaning more sunshine?
Due you feed them enough ?
Have you just tried putting them on a heating mat?
I think I read where some use water bed heaters,there economical to run.
Or even just a heat lamp.
Thanks for the kind words,I'll keep posting those pictures as long as things keep blooming!
Don