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. [...]

Christmas Kalanchoe: Closer To Bloom Time!

Oh, it’s going to happen, hopefully soon! If you click on the photo, you’ll see many salmon pink “dots” peppering these plants – these are future flowers. The kalanchoe are happily residing underneath a mature Japanese aucuba. Trying to steal the act in the top center is an epidendrum orchid! All of these plants are in the [...]

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 [...]

Kalanchoe Container Garden!

It’s hard to believe but my kalanchoe (aka Kalanchoe blossfeldiana and Christmas kalanchoe) container garden is looking mighty fine at the beginning of autumn – and it only started with two plants I bought a few years ago. Look at them now! I can’t wait until Christmas, when the flowers should be making their appearance.
I [...]

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 [...]

Epidendrum Orchid in Bloom!

My lovely epidendrum orchid, or crucifix orchid, is in bloom, and in an eye-popping red! It’s a perfect  way to bid adieu to spring and say hello to summer! As you can see, there are several more flowers just waiting to bloom.

Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe, or Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, or Christmas kalanchoe (so named for the holiday when it is often available in stores) is such a pretty plant, with petite, beautiful flowers and glossy, paddle-like leaves. It is a succulent. I’ve had this plant for nearly three years. It’s often described as an indoor plant, but I’ve always had it [...]

Epidendrum Orchid

It’s also known as a crucifix orchid, because the shape of the flower resembles a cross. I’ve been the lucky caretaker of this unknown epidendrum orchid for the past several years. It produces small but intensely colored red flowers. One of the interesting things about this quickly growing orchid is that the the taller it [...]