Cats and plants

I have two cats. One of them is the chillest cat you could imagine. The other finds trouble even when she's not looking for it. I brought them with me to house sit for my parents while they visited my brother down south. I also brought my Sobralia callosa with me. I know it's strange to bring a plant with me to house sit, but this plant was in bud and the bloom only lasts for one day. It only blooms once a year, too. I knew, just knew, that it would bloom when I was away.

Instead, I ended up with the troublemaker knocking it over and breaking off the bloom.

I'm so angry with her, but I'm also angry with myself. Of course, she would have done something, why didn't I just hide the plant away from her? At least she didn't chew on the leaves.

Hopefully, the plant will try to bloom again.

More Summer Orchids

The summer-blooming orchids are blooming. Let's start with Dendrobium lawesii. This species comes in all sorts of colors from yellow and orange to white and pink to red, so when I picked up mine, I had no idea what color bloom I'd end up with. It turns out that I have this lovely magenta-red bloom.

This plant is free-blooming, not necessarily summer-blooming, but this is the first bloom for me! Like all Dens, this one comes from the South Pacific and grows warm to cool in low elevations. I keep mine on the warm side, because, well, it's currently 90-something degrees F out, and I don't have an AC. There's a fan going on it, but fans are a must for orchids, because it keeps away the mold and other pathogens.

Now, heading to the North Pacific, my Neofinetia falcata are starting their blooms. These plants are from Japan, where the Latin name is replaced by the Japanese name of furan, which means Wind Orchid. These orchids have an amazing history in Japan that goes back hundreds of years to the samurai.

There are all sorts of cultivations of this plant. I have one blooming right now. It's Neofinetia falcata Oonami seikai. It currently has nine flowers on two spikes. Those flowers have a mild perfume. This Neo also has five fans with three more just starting out. I'm going to have to divide this plant next winter. Let me know if you want a division!

And a bonus hibiscus bloom:

 I rescued this plant from Lowes last summer for four bucks. It's currently four feet tall, has beautiful blooms, and has survived three rounds of spider mite infestations.

African Violets

I've been growing African violets for almost ten years now. In fact, I still have my first African violet. None of my violets have names, so they're all noids, but I still enjoy them, and they bloom for me often. They like to dry out in order to bloom, and they like to be in an east-facing window.

This was my first African violet. I've had this plant for ten years, and it's just starting its bloom cycle again.

This next violet was a rescue, and it's very pretty.

I've had this violet for three years. Excuse the cat hairs on everything.

This one I've had for four years. It's difficult to capture the true blue of this violet. It's more violet than blue.

My cape primrose "Ink Blot" is also blooming, and it's putting on a grand show. It currently has twelve flowers! (Again, excuse the cat hair.)