I noticed the flower buds appear last Saturday. Too bad I didn't get to recharge my camera batteries and even if I did - the shots would not appear in a satisfactory mode when its evening.
I did manage to get the pictures though on the next day - it didn't rain as usual and the evening light was just nice.
These are Ground Orchid. (Spathoglottis Plicata) It was with me for years without any flowers. I have no clue what triggered it to bloom - probably it must be Easter. The last time another orchid bloomed (Cattleya) was Christmas. Somehow I'm loosing the interest in these orchid plants - just hope my patience last until the rest slowly show their blooms.
While at it, I had started working on my water jasmine plant. These I have planted from seed. A few gardeners shared their secret about getting this one to bloom.
And the secret is:
Strip off their leaves.
Well, lets see if it works for me.
Somehow, the garden look a little exotic with these branches and the Ground Orchid with the Blackberry Lily plant at the background. That exclusive look somehow makes my garden look lesser than a jungle.
I'm down with flu - first it started with the children, then my wife and now its finally me. All of them had recovered. Now, I'm popping up pills to control the every flowing running nose and the sneeze. (Ahh!!!... my throat & my nose feels so sore) And I'm just too exhausted to water the garden yesterday & today...
Hope it rains...
Your ground orchid is wonderful! The foliage looks so healthy. So this Easter must have been truly a memorable one for you. This orchid is a reward ;-) I hope my ground orchid will grow back some foliage (they were all sunburnt earlier) and then blooms later. The blackberry lily is pretty too. Enjoy the blooms!
ReplyDeletePS: Yesterday it rained here in the late afternoon :-D
James, sorry to hear you are down with the flu. Hope you recover quickly! Your ground orchids and the blackberry lilies are lovely. Don't lose hope with your orchids. I don't know why yours have taken so long to bloom. The spathoglottis seem to bloom and bloom and bloom here, even though they spend half the year recovering from freeze damage. I have a plant that I've waited five years to see bloom...the orange bird of paradise. They bloom all over the area, even in my neighborhood, so I don't know what the problem is. I have placed them in three different locations, in different light conditions, yet none of them have bloomed. Hmmm....
ReplyDeleteYou know James, I'm slowly being won over to orchids. Yours are just lovely. I hope you're feeling better.
ReplyDeleteJames: Your ground orchid leaves look so healthy green. I think I have one kind that has exact same flower as yours. The only thing with mine is the leaves seem get burned easily if it gets some afternoon sun. The ones located in more shaded area look better. I think I better do some moving now.
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon from flu. Take care!
Orchid's blooms are pretty! I like the spots. Get well soon!
ReplyDeleteI hope you will never give up on the orchids. They are unpredictable when it comes to blooming time, but when it does, the happiness is worth the wait. I hope you and family have recovered fully from the flu by now.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for your thoughful comments.
ReplyDelete