Spring Orchids and AVs

I apologize for the lack of updates. Life has been a bit difficult lately. However, I have some flowers in bloom, and those make me happy.

This plant was given to me a year and a half ago in bloom when my grandfather died. I grow it in his honor. It's a Phal hybrid.

Other blooming orchids are species in the Pleurothallis subtribe.

Here we have Stelis viridipurpurea, which, I assume, has to do with the color of the flowers.

The very tiny Pleurothallis alata.

The not-as-tiny Stelis morganii.

The adorable Platystele reflexa.

And the different Pleurothallis corniculata. (I like orange flowers.)

And of course, some AVs. I have more in bud. It took me long enough to realize that in order to get them to bloom, I needed to let them dry out, droopy leaves and everything.

New Year's Blooms and others

Happy New Year!

Here is a seasonal plant: cyclamen. I picked this up recently, and I hope to rebloom it next year. It likes to be cool, so I have it on an enclosed porch. It seems happy out there. 

A close-up on the naughty bits:

The Phalaenopsis have begun their blooming cycle. They bloom in the winter and need a temperature difference of at least 10F to bloom. This is a noid that I rescued from Stop&Stop a while back.

I also have another orchid blooming: Pleurothallis viduata. Unfortunately it's so small that I can't take a decent picture of it. I have recently purchased a new macro camera, but by the time it arrives, these blooms will have passed. (I've been taking pictures with my cellphone for the past four months.)

Here's an update on my Ponderosa Lemon that was pollinated over the summer: baby!

And two of my AVs:

 I can't get this one to stop blooming! Such problems!

ferns

I've been posting a lot about what I have in bloom, so I have decided it's time for some seedless vasculars. I have several ferns, most of them rescues. They're very low maintenance plants: they need some sun and water, and that's about it. They also prefer not to be chewed on by cats. My cats love to crunch on the fallen leaves, thankfully, and not the live plant.

I have the old staple of the Boston fern. Actually, I have two. One was a housewarming gift a few years ago, and one is a behemoth I've had since my sophomore year of college. This one has fronds that are almost three feet long.

 I have another sword fern (Boston fern is a sword fern), that is not a Boston fern, and that was also a rescue. I'm not sure exactly what this one is, but it's small and compact.

 I also have a cute little button fern. This one was a rescue. These are great for small spaces, because they stay small, unlike Boston ferns.

Next up is a bird's foot fern, so named because the fronds form something that looks like a bird's foot. Sometimes. Not sure why it's called bird's foot and not dinosaur foot. More people would want a fern if it were named "dinosaur fern."

I also have three African violets starting their blooming cycle. These three are my best bloomers, and I've had them the longest. I've had that blue one on the bottom for ten years.

Hodgepodge of blooms

I have several plants in bloom now. Some are repeat bloomers that bloom any time of year.

First off some Restrepia species.

Restrepia striata.This species does not really stop blooming. Except when I accidentally set it in the sun, and it burned. It sits in water all the time.

Restrepia brachypus.

I also have a mini variegated AV in bloom.

I have a rock plant - one that mimics a rock - in bloom. So cute. I didn't water it all summer, and then I gave it a good soak. A month later, this is what happened:

And my large hibiscus is going strong.

Odds and ends

No broad category of plants are blooming. I just have bits and pieces of plant families doing their thing.

My lemon is trying to kill itself with flowers. It has bloomed for me three times since January, and I have tried unsuccessfully to pollinate it myself. This time around, I stuck the thing outside and let things happen. And, lo! They did happen.

I have never seen a bumblebee so obsessed with a plant before! She didn't even bother to put her tongue back in between flowers! Look at that face full of pollen and bulging pollen sacks!

I also think another one of the reasons that none of the flowers took to pollination was that the light wasn't strong enough for the pistil to properly develop. I hope I have at least one lemon from this! (The flowers smell so strongly!)

My out-of-season Coelogyne ochracea has started to open its flowers. This is normally a spring-blooming plant. The smell is of strong lilies, and I can barley be in the same room as it: it's that strong - and it's not even fully opened!

I also have a sedum noid that blooms reliably every August. This year is no different.This was a gift three years ago, and this is the third year it has bloomed for me.

Last April (as in a year from April), my grandmother gave me all her African Violets. They were in sad shape. One of them died - root rot - but this one finally bloomed for me!

And lastly, I have a hibiscus that's very, very happy. It's putting out multiple blooms each day. Unfortunately, each bloom only lasts for a day. It's potted up with another hibiscus that isn't as enthusiastic. That plant has a coral-colored flower with a lavender center. Once these two plants are established together, they're going to put on an amazing show!

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.)