That time of year

As soon as the Christmas commercials start, my zygo cactus blooms. It also blooms in December and March. I got this one on deep discount at Stop & Shop after the blooming season three years ago.

Here's the progression of blooms:

I also have a mini orchid in bloom. This one is Macroclinium manabinum. Here's the whole plant. It's mounted on a tiny piece of cork. (1inch x 2 inches)

 Here's a close up on the fans:

Here're the flowers:

It was very difficult to get a good picture of the flowers, because they're so pale and tiny.

Mansplaining horticulture

I try to keep this a plants-only blog, because plants make me happy. However, last night I had a run-in with mansplaining at my Orchid Society meeting. It made me angry, and unfortunately that anger showed. First off, mansplaining is when entitled (usually white) men explain their viewpoint to a female in hopes that she will take that idea as gospel. Usually these are well intended if somewhat misinformed ideas. I've heard of all sorts of stories of women running into this issue a lot more in recent months. I've run into this problem a lot more recently as well, and it's really starting to wear on me. I'm short and female and look about ten years younger than I am. Clearly that means I know nothing. I don't claim to know everything, but don't assume I'm ignorant of all things.

One member of the society brought in a whole bunch of orchid cactus cuttings and offered them to the club for free. Here's how this conversation went down:

Me: What color is the flower?

Old White Dude: This isn't an orchid.

Me: I know. It's a cactus. What color is it?

OWD: The flowers can grow up to the size of dinner plates and only bloom for one night.

Me: I know. What color?

OWD: They only bloom at night.

Me: I know.

Other Old White Dude Standing Behind Me: What color are the blooms?

OWD: White.

This right there? Not okay. I asked a direct question. There was nothing to misinterpret. Not a thing. I wanted to know what color the flowers were. Orchid cacti come in all sorts of nifty colors: pink, red, white, yellow, even peach. Dragon fruit is an orchid cacti. Logee's sells any color imaginable (not imaginable, but there's a fair selection). I wanted to know the color, so I asked. I didn't ask for basic information. I know that. I didn't ask for anything but the color, so I was I told everything but the color?