The July photo of the Orchid Table. Lots of flowers. The white orchids have decided to put on a show. They are the hardiest of the orchids and their stems and flowers are very strong. A new orchid has arrived via my daughter. It is "out of bloom" and no longer wanted by it's owner (a friend of daughter's). So, has come to live with me. A nice healthy plant with two long flower stems. Full, plump nodules on the stems. Very possible that one of them will make a new branch. Wonderful if more than one sprouts. I need to repot it. Daughter doesn't know what color the flowers were.
G cut the grass yesterday with the riding mower. He is unsatisfied with the overall look. Some places got scalped. But, I mentioned, the grass is cut. And now we know the job is getting to be too much for him. Yesterday he did all three large sections. Usually he does a section each day. So three days of lawn cutting. Too much. I think we have over an acre of lawn in the three sections. And trees one must navigate. And valleys and hills. One a few spots are flat.
I went to the grocery an hour ago. Very crowded. They have a new "order and pick up" grocery service and most of the cashiers were doing that. Leaving long lines at the few open cash registers for those of us who actually come into the store to shop. And lots of us were very grumpy about the long lines at the registers. Growing pains with all new things made worse by few employees. They have help wanted signs out.
But something good did happen on G and Riley's walk in the woods. Two trees have fallen across the path. Okay if you are walking. G can climb over and Riley can go around or over. But the people on bikes have to stop and carry their bikes over. G noticed yesterday that someone had cut one of the trees. And just as he and Riley were walking up to the one still on the path, an 8 or 9 year old on a bike stopped and reported that he was going to cut the tree and get it off the path. He said he'd cut the other one yesterday. And sure enough, he got out his saw and started right in. G thanked him. Imagine what a man this boy will be someday!!
And I stopped to help an elderly woman get some kleenex boxes off a high shelf at the grocery. It WAS high and I had to get up on my toes to reach. But as I was getting the boxes down I noticed a young man waiting to see if the two old women would need extra assistance. There was kindness in that also.
I have some cloth that is calling to me but also books. Perhaps a little of each? Antiques Roadshow tonight. It's a good day!
Your orchids are absolutely fabulous. What is the trick to getting them to bloom again? Mine keep growing but don't bloom.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a trick so much as benign neglect. I purchased containers for the plants with a self watering system and a drain plug. What I wanted was the drain plug. During active growth times I water more often but mostly I water every three months. I fill the containers with room temp water. After all of them ( now 12) are watered I add diluted orchid food-liquid to a watering can and give each pot about an ounce. then wait for 30 minutes. I then start with the pots/orchids I watered first and pull the drain plug out and let all the water drain out--tipping to get it all--and then re-insert the rubber plug. I place the orchid pots back on the south side of the house in front of a window with a slated blind half way down. Orchids grow in trees naturally--they don't want or need direct light but they do want light. If I have some bananas-I eat one and use the inside of the skin to rub all the orchid leaves before watering (top side only). It cleans and shines them. I read it in a book. They like it. I rotate the pots on restaurant sheet pans set on top of an old English coffee table. The table and window are right across the way from my sink. Where I wash dishes and look at them.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's it. There are months that go by with no flowers but it's okay. Because I know there will be months like July when they all have flowers. But sometimes it's February or April or October. And the flowers last a really long time.
It would be easier to answer your questions if you just emailed me. I don't mind Anonymous. And the bears all have bow ties.