Some of my fall orchids started to bloom.

First, here are the baby toes in bloom (not an orchid). They're a succulent, and that dark green triangle on the top of each leaf is a little window to let light inside the leaf so that the plant can photosynthesize inside each leaf.

This is a Cattleya hybrid. It's actually Cattleya, Laelia, and Brassavola hybrid! This is the Hawaiian hybrid BLC Toshie Aoki. It reaks of Easter lilies. I love the lip coloration, though.

Here is Zygonisia Cynosure 'Blue Birds'. It's a hybrid between Aganisia cyanea and  Zygopetalum Skippy Ku. The flower a delicate violet color. I grow this in semi-hydro, which the plant seems to really enjoy, because it's always the right amount of wet.

This is the first Bulbophyllum that I've been able to bloom on my own. I am very proud of this! This is a mini: Bulbophyllum cernuum. It is absolutely adorable.

Here's the Bulbo with a penny:

Tiny!

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.

fall plants

I've started to bring my plants inside for the winter, inspecting each one for harmful insects. The spiders can stay.

The first of my fall-blooming plants is... a strawberry. I bought an ever-blooming strawberry, because fresh strawberries are great in the dead of winter. It had a slight thrip problem, but that has been resolved. I hope.

Next, I have my Lepanthopsis astrophora "Stalky" blooming again. I love this little plant. I always keep it in a terrarium with the bottom of the pot submerged in water. It needs constant moisture.

The pot is an inch in diameter. And just to give you an idea on size here's the whole plant:

I also have several orchids that are putting out spikes including my Zygo hybrid: Zygonisia Cynosure 'Blue Birds.' Hopefully this spike shouldn't take too long to develop.

(It's in semihydro.)

I also have my Gastrochilus bellinus in spike again. This spike will take a long time to develop. I don't expect flowers to open until April! And a Bulbophyllum cernuum is also in spike. This is the first time I've been able to successfully spike a Bulbophyllum. Very exciting, especially because it's not the stinky kind. (Bulbos are pollinated by flies, so a lot of them smell like death. Literally.) I have no idea why this one is spiking and the others haven't, since they're all right next to each other.

Also, both hibiscus in the same pot are blooming and happily established. 

 

And also, some everbloomers. My crown of thorns and an anthurium rescue from Lowes. Apparently the color of both of these flowers is dependent on light, because when I had the anthurium in my classroom, it had red flowers, now it has pink flowers. The crown of thorns only has different shades of pink.

Baby lemon

It looks as if I will have two lemons - if everything goes well!

Look at that cute little lemon! (Okay, it's a swollen ovary, but lemons!)

Also the hibiscus is still going strong, and so is the Coelogyne.

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!

More orchids

I moved over the weekend, and my plants are settling in just fine. They're out on a deck and a three-season porch.

Here's what's going on with my orchids:

My Dendrobium lawesii  continues to bloom beautifully.

Next, I have a noid Zygopetalum in bloom. It smells very, very floral!

Also, my Coelogyne ochracea is a spring-blooming plant. But it is very confused and putting out two spikes now.

I'm not sure if my Bulbophyllum echinolabium is putting out a new growth or a spike. It's always a great guessing game with Bulbos. I'm going to say it's a growth, but I wouldn't mind a spike!

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.