Cymbidiums (cymbidia?) are growing nicely in full sun now. Currently feeding with 30:10:10 and occasional Epson salts, both at about 1/2 teaspoon per 1.5 gallon. This is less than 1/4 strength for the orchid food. It's weakly but more like every-other-daily instead of weekly, for the ones in full sun. The leaves are that nice light green that websites talk about being ideal for cymbidium and some other orchids.

Miltassia or something similar, I think. It's interesting, most of the oncidium intergerics have similar pseudobulbs and leaves, just different flowers. Miltassia is intergeneric Miltonium or Miltoniopsis, with Brassia. Other than the flower, the plant looks like Oncidium or Odontoglossum - completely different genera.

7/16/11 From an orchidtalk discussion, this is a Banfieldara.  From a RHS forum, some Balfieldara are:

BANFIELDARA = ADA x BRASSIA X ODONTOGLOSSUM x
> ONCIDIUM
>
> BANFIELDARA Gilded Tower =
> = Adaglossum Summit (Odontoglossum x Ada) x
> Brassidium Gilded Urchin (Brassia x Oncidium)
>
> BANFIELDARA = ADA x BRASSIA X ODONTOGLOSSUM
>
> BANFIELDARA Gold Star =
> Brassada Memoria Bert Field (Ada x Brassia) x
> Odontoglossum Yellowstone Basin

Nice looking plant, view of the plant as well as the flowers. I like looking at the entire plant. Photos with just the flowers don't tell me as much.

Yellow Oncidium. It grows so easily. It bloomed once, and never since. It's now in full sun, resulting in sunburn, but also the new growth is that light apple-green that is sought for many orchids. Maybe that's what's needed to get it to bloom. Better get sun while it can, it's already July.

On Epson Salts - It's not clear that they are helpful. Some people think they help the plants grow faster, assuming there is no other source of Magnesium. "in an experiment the use of Epsom salts brought seedlings to maturity and flowering faster than those which were not provided with magnesium sulfate in the form of Epsom salts". The amount is given as ranging from one teaspoon per gallon with every watering, to 1 tablespoon per gallon, 4 times per year. I've rarely been using them, and at the low rate of one half teaspoon per gallon.

The death of one daydream

Inspection didn't go so well. There was a lot more insect damage to structural systems and floor joists, than the owner apparently knew. Bummer. Not just carpenter ants, but apparently termites and 2 kinds of beetle that I never heard of, which apparently hollow out beams, leaving a nice looking shell and nothing inside. Most likely, the support structures and joists will need either substantial work, or replacement. I can't see the current owner going for that. I can't take it on, so we'll probably move on and look at some other places. Damn.

Cherries

Haven't counted how many bowls of cherries this year. Lots. Too many to eat them all fresh.  I need to get out and pick many times this tomorrow, so they don't spoil.  Not bad for some dwarf backyard trees.  Backyard orchard culture works.

Clever cherry pitter is handy for anything other than eating them fresh. I pitted a cup of cherries, added orange juice almost to the top of the cherries, a teaspoon of sugar, about 1/3 cup of silken tofu, and blended them to frothiness in the smoothie maker. Very good "milkshake'. Freezing some for pies. Pies have to wait for the kitchen resurrection. That's another story.

Maybe the new weekend retreat.

We've been looking at some places more out of the way, with a little more land but not too much, off the main road but not too far, in reasonable shape but not too expensive, not needing major work but open for puttering. This is the current main contender. A little further north but not too far, climate is still going to be similar to Portland/Vancouver.

The yard is big enough for a couple dozen trees in the "backyard orchard" style that I already use at home. That means dwarf and summer pruned trees that are small enough for all fruit to be reached without a ladder. Hip fractures are not needed. An ongoing fruit crop through summer with multiple bowls of multiple varieties is welcomed.

I've been studying up on paw paws. Grampa used to grow them. They would be experimental in this climate - in theory not impossible, any more than figs are. Paw paws survive a lot colder than figs do, but might need wetter & warmer summers than  we have here. I can devote some ground here to them.  There is room for failure and success. Also more mulberries, plums, cherries. May kiwis.

I may have lots of fig trees if those cuttings grow. I don't know where to put them. There is room here. Also some grape vines, some rhubarb and some other stuff.

Inspection is tomorrow.  The place needs to pass before I get carried away.

The house is an updated, old farm house.  Relaxing.  Does not appear to need any work.

Lilies are blooming

These started as a little throw away potted lily, about 6 inches tall. As the years pass, I divide them now and then. They continue to multiply. They've also grown taller. I may have been over-generous with compost. Before I raised the level, the grass in this location barely grew.

These asiatic lilies are bigger every year too. I did add a layer of compost last year before mulching with bark nuggets. This year I won't add any. They don't need to grow any larger. Must be about 7 feet tall.

Orientals and trumpets are next.