Cymbidium Orchid: Flowering in Progress

It’s always a pleasure to see cymbidium orchids in flower. On one spike, flowers open up in a slightly staggered time frame. As  shown in the photo, taken minutes ago, the top center flower is almost fully open, while the other ones look like they’re about to burst out!
Notice the lovely cascade of wine-colored flowers [...]

Epidendrum Orchids: White Roots

Epidendrum orchids are very easy to grow in containers in a shade garden. Click on the photo and you’ll see the beautiful white roots originating from the stems. Also known as aerial roots, these structures help with photosynthesis.
On the lower left are leaves from the Japanese boxwood. The long, sword-like leaves are from cymbidium orchids. [...]

Cymbidium Orchid: Lengthening Flower Spike!

About one month since this cymbidium orchid’s spike first emerged, quite a bit of growth has occurred. When the first buds appeared, the buds appeared tightly bound to the spike and in close proximity to each other. Now, the length of the spike has increased quite a bit, allowing each flower bud sufficient physical space [...]

Cymbidium Orchid: Flower Buds Emerge!

Flower buds have emerged from the first flower spike of the season in my makeshift shade garden. Each of these flower buds will eventually become gorgeous flowers. Two weeks ago (see my previous post), the flower spike was just starting to get longer.  Relatively speaking, it’s growing rather fast. One great thing about cymbidium orchids is [...]

Cymbidium Orchid: Update on Spike Growth!

It’s a little over 2 weeks later, and the cymbidium spike has indeed grown! The wine-colored striations, especially along the edges, are especially beautiful. I water this 1-2 times per week, to keep the soil moistened, but not soaked. All of my orchids, cymbidium and epidendrum, are grown in containers in ordinary potting soil and I have [...]

Cymbidium Orchid: First New Spike for 2008!

I just finished watering my plants and noticed the first new spike in my lovely collection of cymbidium orchids, all in containers in my front yard shade garden. It’s a raspberry-colored orchid, and the one I have the most of. It’s such a pleasure to grow, the flowers are gorgeous and long-lasting, and the plant is robust [...]

Makeshift Front Yard Shade Garden!

It’s all in there: (1) cymbidium orchids, (2) epidendrum orchids or crucifix orchids, (3) jade plant, or Crassula argentea or Crassula portulacea or money plant or money tree – a succulent, (4) yellow ginger plant, or cream garland lily or Hedychium flavescens Carey ex Roscoe, (5) white calla lily or Zantedeschia aethiopica or giant white arum [...]

Support Your Non-Climber Roses

My pruning calendar or schedule has me doing my heavy rose pruning in January, followed by a lighter pruning in August, to stimulate a longer flowering season. However, with regard to my shrub (non-climber) roses, despite following the advice from experts to prune my rose plants to have a vase shape, inevitably, I find that some [...]