Flaunting My Favorites This Month!

I'm cheating a bit...

killing two birds with one stone, if you will. 

However, birds are my favorite animal and

Lola would not appreciate this term,

so I'll stick with "cheating".

I am participating in Tootsie's Fertilizer Friday / Flaunt Your Flowers

as well as Susan's My Favorites THIS Month. 

So what's going on in the Garden in Paradise?!

First up is my beloved Dendrobium, my first orchid, given to me as a birthday gift several years ago.  As always, it is showering me with gorgeous blooms in time for my upcoming birthday!  I look forward to these blooms, usually twice a year.  She's sending out 4 spikes, so she's especially happy this year.  I think that's a sign of good luck for me!!

I'm also thrilled that my Lady Margaret Passion Vine not only recovered from the Gulf Fritillary caterpillar plunder, but is blooming again!!

And I have loads of Gulf Fritillary butterflies to boot!

The butterflies love the pretty white blooms of the Spinach Tree,

but I've already posted about this so I won't go on and on.

My new Dutchman's Pipe Vine bloomed

and has new little buds forming!

Additionally, my friend Cindy gave me some Gold Rim Swallowtail caterpillars to munch on my new vine.  I hope I have as good of luck as she did (my Butterflies and Pipes post).

The pretty Balloon Flower has many balloon buds and blooms on it.

I usually have loads of purple Angelonia, but this time I also have pink.  Sweet!

This little tubular bromelaid is especially interesting to me.  I love it's form.

The pretty purple berries of the American Beauty Berry is still a favorite this month.

As are the cheerful pom pons of the Gomphrena. 

Here's another brom in full red color.  Beautiful!

The Duck Potato bloomed again.

I love this bloom...it appears so delicate and crepe-like.

I was also surprised by this new volunteer pink-form Lantana. 

I didn't have this variety, so the birds must've decided I needed some.  How nice!  Thank you!!

I'm really enjoying my new Bird's Nest Fern, too!

Thanks so much for stopping by to see my current favorites! 

Happy Gardening!!! 

Orchid in Every Language...

Orchids are one of the plants that have captured my interest this year.  I've always thought of them as delicate and difficult.  I certainly never thought of them as a native plant.  I've always categorized orchids as show flowers...for the professionals only, not lowly ameteurs such as myself.  My first orchid was given to me several years ago as a birthday gift.  I was impressed with the ease of maintenance and the bloom length (2 months!).  Another friend gave me a book about orchids...one of those ORTHO books from HD or Lowes.  I learned quite a bit from this book, apparently, because my "parent" produced 5 babies within the following year.  I started noticing other orchids and asking questions. 

I saw this one called "Trick or Treat" at a plant sale last year. I love the color!

I went to my first orchid show about 2 years ago.  It was very impressive!  I couldn't believe the variety although I didn't know any of the names!  The exhibits were outstandingly pristine and untouchable...the kind of blooms that only professionals could hope to expect.

This is my favorite...

gorgeous bunches of blooms cascading like a waterfall!

Since that first show, I have attended numerous expositionss and met many gardeners who specialize in orchids.  I found out something CRAZY...they're normal people and orchids are normal plants !!!

This is a member of the local orchid society demonstrating

the hardiness of a Phalaenopsis and the basics of repotting orchids.

The more I learned from these very down-to-earth gardeners, the more I learned about the exotic, other-worldly orchid.  These "specialists" have given me a gift...a comfort level with orchids.  I've made the leap from reading about orchids and viewing them as someone else's prize to having a few of my own.  Here's the lineup...

My first Dendrobium...

Several varieties of Phalaenopsis...

 

A bare root Vanda youngster...

V. Gordon Dillon bluespot (the big purple blooms with white spots)...

Ground Orchids

Spathoglotis Plicata and

pretty Epidendrum passed along by Adina at Manure Depot

and my newest variety...

Chtra. Sharifa Alsagoff.  WHAT?!

Chtra. is the accepted abbreviation for the genus Christieara,

a cross of three genera: Aeridies x Ascocentrum x Vanda.

I hit the orchid sale at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Garden...

There were many vendors but my favorite and most affordable was

Alexis' exhibit was more earthy and creative...

much more "me" than the elegant and perfect cattleya and slipper orchid vendors. 

Although the blooms were beautiful!

And multi-colored!

So many varieties of Cattleya!

However, back at Alexis' booth,

orchids and bromelaids were tucked "naturally" into

coconut shells and bamboo shoots. 

Another really cool vendor was Nature's Relics...

showcasing natural cedar wood pieces.  Love it!

I was excited to take in the brand new orchid room at the garden.  

Many of the orchids were "planted" only

2-3 months ago since the gardens are new.  

This is a great example for attaching an orchid to a tree trunck.

Notice the plant will grow sideways so water will not pool in the crown, causing rot.

Numerous Phalaenopsis attached to one tree.

This Dendrobium is already in bloom!

As is this attractive spider variety!

Another in bloom is the lovely ground orchid, Spathoglotis Plicata.

Here I am with my purchases...

Check out the roots on my lovely Christieara orchid!!!  Like a bride carrying her veil!

(Yes, I have a fantastic bird's nest fern, too,

along with a few interesting tillandsia hiding in the bag)

Here's my new Bird's Nest Fern at home on my viranda!

As a new orchid enthusiast, I have gleened courage and confidence from a few bloggers...

My Orchids Journal

Simply Susan

Florida Native Orchids

Tog of Coral Gables

I also enjoy a few "orchid 101" reference books...

This was my first Orchid book...I still reference it! 

Another necessity!

It really is!

You don't have to be a dummy to find this book helpful!

Finally, something a little random and just for fun!!!

ORCHID

ορχιδέα (Greek)

兰花 (Chinese)

السحلية  (Arabic)

orhideja (Croatian)

orchidee (Dutch, German)

dapo (Philipino)

orkidea (Finnish, Italian)

orchidej (Czech)

orchidée (French)

आर्किड (Hindi)

magairlín (Irish)

סחלב (Hebrew)

蘭 (Japanese)

난초 (Korean)

орхидеи (Macedonian)

رنگ ارغوانی روشن (Persian)

orquídea (Portuguese)

орхидея (Russian)

กล้วยไม้ (Thai)

orkide (Turkish)

cây lan (Vietnamese)

Tegeirian (Welsh)

אָרכידייע (Yiddish)

Did I leave anyone out?!