Orchid

I didn’t notice but one of my orchids has flowered. Not a good photo, lots of camera shake. You can just see there are a few lower buds yet to open.

Today I got soaked walking 100 yards to choir practice. I can’t drive and I struggle to manage with a walking stick and a brolly, so I left it behind It was drizzling when I went out but it came down heavy as I walked along. So much so it was raining into my eyes. I was told not to get water in my eye that had been operated on. I avoided doing it in the shower but unfortunately the weather got the better of me. Still I have antibiotic eye drops to put in.

Which reminds me I’d better water the orchids.

Christmassy cactus

I watered my Christmas cactii and they have all developed flowers. My indoor plants have been sadly neglected this winter. I’ve been distracted by everything that has been going on. I have not looked after the orchids and my amarylis plants have not developed flowers. Oh well. It might be time to replace them, they are 7 or 8 years old!

Old Orchids

Old orchids on the windowsill

Growing fitfully, they need repotting. I’m going to have to do it soon as the orchid medium is spent, but they have reflowered a few times. They need clear plastic pots to let light to the roots apparently. My worst habit is not keeping them misted so they are a little dry. I’ve got two more on the kitchen windowsill but I think it will be too cold in there in the winter so I will be moving them into the living room where it’s warmer..

Killed my orchids?

I am sad to say it’s been too cold for my orchid plants this winter. I have some on a windowsill that have just about survived, but hubby bought me some a month or do ago and the only room was in the kitchen. But it’s drafty in there and the leaves are starting to yellow. I tried not to water them too much in case they started to rot. I think I need to repot them all.

Orchids need orchid medium, not soil, they like their roots loosely potted I think and they grow ariel roots to draw moisture from their surroundings. They also prefer clear pots so light can get to their roots. You are supposed to spray mist on them but I never remember to do it. I must try and rescue them.

Glass Robin and orchid flowers

Wonderful to see new flowers on one of my orchid plants. They are behind this glass Robin. I didn’t want to try and move it out of the way incase I knocked one of the flowers off. They are a bit brown on the edges, I think the orchid had dried out a bit so I need to get a mist spray for them. My other orchid plants are green but not flowering. I think they need new growing medium and to let their ariel roots get some freedom.

When will they flower?

My orchids occasionally flower, but they haven’t for ages. The new one I bought still has flowers on it, but the buds soon fell off. I’m trying to feed them but I think I need to get bigger pots for them and new orchid compost/ fibre. I probably don’t water them enough and I don’t spray mist them. But I have had them for years. They have lots of ariel roots, there leaves are mostly green. So I will try and pamper them more.

Easter Island head ornament

I made him at Etruria artists a couple of years ago. I textured the surface and it is bisque fired. I didn’t get it glazed so I used a pale metallic blue acrylic paint to colour it. It used to sit on the shelf with my orchids but hubby bought me a new orchid plant so it’s now on the kitchen windowledge.

Side window

On a cold sunny morning I like looking through the side windows of the house. This one is surrounded by orchids. Three plants live there, all different sizes. One recently stopped flowering after sending out a second flower spike. One keeps growing but hasn’t flowered again and the last was one we got in the summer and the flowers on it are fading. I think they all need repotting. They sit in clear pots as the roots like to get light to them, I have some orchid medium but last time I potted them on I think I used too much of it and crammed the roots of one of them in too tightly….

Theres a glass frog and another glass piece hanging from the curtain rail. Then the window glass is dusty and covered in cobwebs outside. It’s hard to clean as there is a large shrub in the way outside. Also there is a nesting box which families of Blue Tits use over the spring and summer. So it gets left, and the dappled light from the trees outside give it an atmospheric, olde worlde look. Which is why I like to take photos of it.

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Orchids

This is a duplicated photo of the orchids in my window. I thought they were hard to grow, but they seem to thrive on the neglect they get from me. I generally just give them a bit of water once a week. I think you are supposed to mist them with water and give them orchid food but that doesn’t happen. I did try repotting them but I killed one because I didn’t know they like clear pots so the roots get light. Some of the roots are ariel ones that need to be allowed freedom from the pot. One of my plants has sent out two flower spikes since I got it. I’m hoping it will do it again.

Window

Orchid view. Through the window hubby is fixing the tricycle. The ariel roots from the orchids are spreading out far and wide. Some of the flowers on the large orchid are dropping, but they have been there for months. I’m hoping that is sends out another flower spike soon.

I might try repotting it carefully this time. I repotted another one and I think I over filled it with orchid compost. I think you have to leave the ariel roots some free space.