Orchids

[rubyduby]

My pond orchids are blooming!

[j.w]

You are so lucky to be able to grow those outdoors! So pretty!

[rubyduby]

You are so lucky to be able to grow those outdoors! So pretty!

Thanks j.w….there’s got to be some perk to living in a sauna all summer:)

[brokensword]

My pond orchids are blooming!

love the first one (can't recall that variety; name please?) and the phal; you don't have it in direct sun, do you? Supposed to be low light orchid from what I know. I keep both the remaining two I have in the shade all summer and they do great. Used to have 200 orchids or so but over time, they died/dwindled in number and I moved on to other hobbies. The turtle pool in the basement is in what used to be my indoor greenhouse for the orchids and aquariums; had a whole hygrometer monitored misting system just for the orchids! Ruby, you've given me the idea that I MAY put the phals nestled somewhere in the waterfall under the redbud this summer! Certainly would be nice to see blooms like yours! Thing is, one already bloomed and not sure it'll do so again but can't hurt and will give me one more 'tweak' for the pond! I used to keep my vanda over bog v1 but the sun is pretty intense there and sometimes, the top leaves got sun-burned when I first took it out. I have to remember to go slow exposing it to the summer light intensity, though vandas should be able to handle it.

[rubyduby]

Vandas are my favorite Brokensword…I used to have about 20 at a previous location here in Florida (my Husband and I were snowbirds going between Upstate New York and Florida). I love their roots as much as their blooms. Was never a fan of Phals since you could get them anywhere but when I bought this house the previous owner had both of these orchids inside…I see that they are much happier out by the pond. Is there ANYTHING that you haven’t done? I thought I had a lot of energy but I am truly amazed at yours. Way to enjoy life eh? (The “eh” is from my years living in Nova Scotia :)

[brokensword]

Vandas are my favorite Brokensword…I used to have about 20 at a previous location here in Florida (my Husband and I were snowbirds going between Upstate New York and Florida). I love their roots as much as their blooms. Was never a fan of Phals since you could get them anywhere but when I bought this house the previous owner had both of these orchids inside…I see that they are much happier out by the pond. Is there ANYTHING that you haven’t done? I thought I had a lot of energy but I am truly amazed at yours. Way to enjoy life eh? (The “eh” is from my years living in Nova Scotia :)

ha, well, dunno, I just like nature and gardens and over time, have had a hand in a few things! The pond is an extension of having aquariums since I was a kid, but of a different nature for sure. Don't suppose I should tell you I still play hockey, eh?

I always wanted (but never had) vanda cerulea and a renanthera (red). Some orchids were out of my price range at the time! Used to go to the Orchid show but haven't been in a while.

[rubyduby]

Vandas are my favorite Brokensword…I used to have about 20 at a previous location here in Florida (my Husband and I were snowbirds going between Upstate New York and Florida). I love their roots as much as their blooms. Was never a fan of Phals since you could get them anywhere but when I bought this house the previous owner had both of these orchids inside…I see that they are much happier out by the pond. Is there ANYTHING that you haven’t done? I thought I had a lot of energy but I am truly amazed at yours. Way to enjoy life eh? (The “eh” is from my years living in Nova Scotia :)

ha, well, dunno, I just like nature and gardens and over time, have had a hand in a few things! The pond is an extension of having aquariums since I was a kid, but of a different nature for sure. Don't suppose I should tell you I still play hockey, eh?

I always wanted (but never had) vanda cerulea and a renanthera (red). Some orchids were out of my price range at the time! Used to go to the Orchid show but haven't been in a while.

I have had Blue Vanda (coerulea) and it did very well here in Florida...Left all of my vandas when I sold the house years ago... I think I will hang some around the pond if I can figure out a way to make it look natural...Hockey is such a great sport...When I lived in Nova Scotia we would always go to the games...Miss that (not a lot of hockey here in Florida:(

[brokensword]

Vandas are my favorite Brokensword…I used to have about 20 at a previous location here in Florida (my Husband and I were snowbirds going between Upstate New York and Florida). I love their roots as much as their blooms. Was never a fan of Phals since you could get them anywhere but when I bought this house the previous owner had both of these orchids inside…I see that they are much happier out by the pond. Is there ANYTHING that you haven’t done? I thought I had a lot of energy but I am truly amazed at yours. Way to enjoy life eh? (The “eh” is from my years living in Nova Scotia :)

ha, well, dunno, I just like nature and gardens and over time, have had a hand in a few things! The pond is an extension of having aquariums since I was a kid, but of a different nature for sure. Don't suppose I should tell you I still play hockey, eh?

I always wanted (but never had) vanda cerulea and a renanthera (red). Some orchids were out of my price range at the time! Used to go to the Orchid show but haven't been in a while.

I have had Blue Vanda (coerulea) and it did very well here in Florida...Left all of my vandas when I sold the house years ago... I think I will hang some around the pond if I can figure out a way to make it look natural...Hockey is such a great sport...When I lived in Nova Scotia we would always go to the games...Miss that (not a lot of hockey here in Florida:(

and yet, YOU have two of the BEST teams in the NHL, IN FLORIDA!!! But, I get your meaning!

The one vanda I have is a reliable bloomer; there be pics (pretty sure) in my pond build but I'll post here when it blooms again. Not the typical vanda flower, more like the renanthera I mentioned, but larger. The problem with the vanda is it grows fairly huge and gets hard to position and hang etc, esp in the basement over the pool. I have cut it back but it likes to grow! If you ever want some of it, let me know (after you see the pics!) and I can send some via mail. It should travel well being basically a tuber with leaves. My other large one is a green cymbidium. Bloomed already this year but might again in the fall.

Re hanging vandas around your pond; if you can stretch a cable (almost invisible unless looking for it) across, you could hang it that way, or of course, some tree which lets light through would work, if over your pond area. With the 'house' around/over my pond, hanging stuff is easy peasy. That might be one of the few reasons I'd ever live in Fla; not fond of the humidity we get here let alone all that YOU have!

[rubyduby]

Thank you for the offer brokensword...I like that when you look at my pond there is nothing man made that is obvious (except for a few solar lights) so hanging orchids (even on the wire) would not be an option but it is a good idea:)

I agree about the humidity but when I lived in Virginia it was worse than here in Florida if you can believe that..I do like the tropical flora here and the fact that everything is alive and colorful all year long which also helps my mood:)There is always a breeze which really helps with the comfort level...Do I miss the North Country? You betcha (ha ha)....I miss the smell of wood smoke, flannel shirts and jeans, Loons, diamonds in the falling snow against the moonlight, owls calling back and forth, tending a woodstove (I love fire), Chipmunks, Spring and Fall, colorful leaves, moss, forests, absolute solitude and of course MOUNTAINS...

What I don't miss: mosquitos, no-see-ums, DEER FLIES, black flies, Cluster flies, grey skies, brown grass and leaves for 6 months, porcupines (my dogs), loons and grossbeaks and goldfinches leaving for 6 months, freezing rain....

So it's a toss up...maybe I will become a snowbird....

[rubyduby]

My pond orchids are blooming!

love the first one (can't recall that variety; name please?) and the phal; you don't have it in direct sun, do you? Supposed to be low light orchid from what I know. I keep both the remaining two I have in the shade all summer and they do great. Used to have 200 orchids or so but over time, they died/dwindled in number and I moved on to other hobbies. The turtle pool in the basement is in what used to be my indoor greenhouse for the orchids and aquariums; had a whole hygrometer monitored misting system just for the orchids! Ruby, you've given me the idea that I MAY put the phals nestled somewhere in the waterfall under the redbud this summer! Certainly would be nice to see blooms like yours! Thing is, one already bloomed and not sure it'll do so again but can't hurt and will give me one more 'tweak' for the pond! I used to keep my vanda over bog v1 but the sun is pretty intense there and sometimes, the top leaves got sun-burned when I first took it out. I have to remember to go slow exposing it to the summer light intensity, though vandas should be able to handle it.

The first orchid is a clamshell orchid prosthechea cochleata

[brokensword]

The first orchid is a clamshell orchid prosthechea cochleata

ah, yeah; I remember; cochleata. I knew it looked familiar! Thanks Ruby!