Orchid Blogging for January

I can't take much credit for this Phalaenopsis - it was in bud when I bought it. This keeps blooming and blooming and blooming. The last Harlequin that i had bloomed for a year, but then when I was nurturing it back to the next bloom, I think I overwatered it, and it died. That doesn't happen much to my orchids, but it proves I am not the "orchid whisperer" yet.

This Cymbidium hybrid is the only one from last year that is blooming this year. I don't know why - if it is that it is more suited for my circumstances, or just a random difference. They are nice and fragrant, and I like these flowers more than the ones it had last year.

Oncidium "twinkle".  This must be the easiest Oncidium hybrid to rebloom.  This is the second rebloom this year.  I have been growing this with dilute Miracle Grow Tomato food - 1/4 teaspoon per gallon.  Not organic for the orchids, their situation is too artificial as it is, and miracle grow is mineral based, not a petrochemical.

I've had this Oncidium hybrid for 2 years. It was a tiny plant, beige / brown flower. I bought it as a "disposable" but then kept it anyway. Glad I did - now it's starting a spike. I'm starting to think I can grow Oncidiums - although I still can't get the yellow ones to bloom. I have another one in spike too, but one pic of a small early spike is enough.

Miltoniopsis hybrid.  Or possibly, Miltonia.  This is another plant I thought I would just keep while in bloom, left it on the deck for a month or two without any care at all, then another Miltoniopsis bloomed so I reconsidered and repotted it.  That was last summer.  And now...  the beginning of a flower spike.  Actually, 2 flower spikes.  Amazing!

January Gardening

No photos today. Pruned grapes. I usually do that on New Year's day. This is a little later, but not bad. There were more dead canes than I expected, and some fungal infections on a few dead sticks. I feel a bit concerned, but for the most part the canes had green fresh wood when cut. I trimmed new canes back to about nodes in most cases.

Last year was a bad grape year. There was a lot of mold - maybe they are in trouble. We'll see. With the thorough pruning, and with a few sprays of neem oil, maybe this year will be better.

These vines are about 10 years old. Technically, they should live decades. The damp NW climate may change that.

I also did some minor pruning of a couple of fig trees. Mostly to keep the centers open for sun and breeze. I cut back Lattarula's highest branches, but left the shorter ones in hopes of brebas.

Plans for 2012

Reflecting on this 2011, I realized that what I enjoy the most, my garden, is almost always on the back burner now. Gardening gives me peace, and I feel one with the world. I love the smell of the soil, I love looking at buds opening, I love growing from seed and watching a plant sprout, grow the first true leaves, transition from sprout to seedling to plant, to whatever it's going to become, a vegetable, a shrub, a tree, or whatever. I love puttering and trimming and planting and transplanting. I love making compost, mulching, preparing garden beds and containers.

And yet, I barely get into the yard now. Homework usually extends through the day off or weekend, or I'm not up to it.

Will 2012 be different? I hope so. Life isn't really worthwhile, going day to day to day without a break. There will be more time off - this time around I really will take the vacation time I've earned. I will remove some of the non-performers. There I'm thinking of one fig tree in particular, and a hazel nut tree. If the peaches don't perform next year, they are going as well. That will take away some maintenance time.

The raspberries will go, too. They spread too much, are too vigorous, and I don't have the room. Despite producing a lot of raspberries last year, we didn't eat many.

I'm not sure what else will be different. I keep moving into containers - much lower maintenance, and very productive. This winter will be a turning point.

No pics today. Jan 1st will be the start of renewal.

Schlumbergera season

They are way to easy to grow and bloom. Downside: as they grow larger, the flowers face downwards. If hanging, that's fine. On a table, up-facing flowers are easier to view. Summer outside in the shade. Try to remember to water them at least weekly. Bring inside when it's cooling down. Avoid keeping them in lit rooms at night - not difficult. When they start to bud, I provide some orchid bloom food in weak solution.

A pink Sclumbergera. Probably about 3 or 4 years old.

I think I was going to throw away this red one. But this year the color is very good. So I will keep it.

I grew this salmon Sclhumbergera from gift cuttings about 6 years ago. I think this year I will start from cuttings again, for more compact size.

Tolerance

Can I get up there?  Huh?  Can I?

Please?  I Promise I won't mess with the little animal there.

Don't even think about letting that creature up there.  Don't even think about it.

You let it on the bed.  Damn you!

That spot looks very comfortable.

Cymbidium spikes

This NOID cymbidium is the only one producing spikes now. I'll hold on to some hope for the others. One that bloomed last year is not making spikes yet. If they don't bloom, I will have an excuse to buy a new one.

Peppers

THe peppers did quite nicely this year. I've concluded that, in this area, the container method is the best way to grow them

Schlumbergera

I took the best looking Schlumbergera to work, so no pics of those! This one was left to dry out too much this summer, but is making a nice display of salmon colored flowers now. I think I will start some cuttings after it blooms, to have a smaller plant that is easier to care for.

This Sclumbergera was pure white last year. This year it is a very pale pink & white mixture. Really quite striking. It was in a mix, half red, and half white, and I separated them to have each color individual. This is an ideal size. The photo doesn't do it justice.

Some of my Ginkgos in the fall

These are 3 Ginkgo biloba trees that I started from seeds about 5 years ago. They are in potting soil in a half barrel. They got a big dose of compose this year and grew like crazy. The seeds were obtained locally from ginkgo trees here in Vancouver.

This is one of my front yard Ginkgo biloba trees. It is planted in the front yard in a hard clay soil. I water it once in a while in the summer. This tree is too tall for me to reach the top now. Growth is slower than the backyard tree, which is about 3 times as big, tall and with heavier trunk. The leaves on the backyard tree are still green, probably due to enrichment of the soil by the doggies - it's in the center of their "rest-room". This tree is about 13 years from seeds obtained by my dad from a local tree in Quincy Illinois, which itself had been grown by an old German gentleman, Herman Dege, who taught me about ginkgo trees, their ancient provenance, that they were conifers, and the dinosaurs grazed among them.

The 3rd Ginkgo, from my dad's seeds. This is the smallest, only about 6 ft tall now, in a drier spot with even worse clay soil. Still, it grows little by little.

Saturday homework

Just homework today.
Goals tomorrow:
Get through homework backlog (yeah, right)
Inflate bike tires. Leave them for a few days to see if they deflate.
Bake pie.
Make lunches for Monday

I'm keeping the birds well fed. There were very few insects around this summer. Maybe the birds helped.

It's hard to get a good pic of the birds. I don't want to sit waiting for them. There are birds at the feeder almost constantly.

My buddy Charlie.

He stays by my side while I'm doing homework.  I couldn't survive without him.

My home office window.  The orchids are in an in-between stage.  Not growing much, not blooming.  The holiday cacti are blooming like crazy.  One cymbidium has started sending out spikes.  I haven't decided if I should leave the others outside.  It's starting to become chilly.