Orchids and bromeliad in flower at the same time

My white orchid is the most prolific flowerer, but the last time it flowered the ants climbed up the stem and ate the flowers!   I was devastated, and made sure it didnt happen again.  As soon as I saw the buds forming this time I brought the plant inside. The grubby outside pot doesn't look so good, and it didn't fit into any of my other containers.  I just wrapped it in a piece of cellophane and jammed it in halfway.  I like the idea of bringing in the flowering orchids, so will have to either pot them up into pots that fit into my containers or purchase other containers.

This is one of my most succesful orchids, flowers every six months, and this time has two flowering stalks, and at the top of one of the "branches?" there are a few leaves with some roots that I presume I can re-pot and start another plant.

I have a selection of mismatched hanging pots and one of them doesn't even work anymore and hangs at a tipsy angle. One of the pots is marked 4.00, leftover from a clearance plant.  really tacky.   Not a good look at all. My orchids deserve better.
I do like the look of the wooden slat type of planters and have been wondering about making up some of those.....  then they would all match nicely, but not so sure about bringing them inside....  I will have to search for ideas. Maybe just a set of matching hanging pots......any ideas?

Then I noticed a flower spike in one of my bromeliads.  Bromeliads are their own little compost digesters, they feed themselves from rotting leaves that lie in their central cup.



Soon the flower spike emerged :)


Yesterday afternoon Hubby and I were sitting in the swing having an evening drink when I suddenly looked up and saw some red in the tree!  My slipper orhcid has a flower!  yeah!  My long suffering hubby is quite used to me interupting our conversation and jumping up to get the camera.....



 This is one of the plants I purchased with the voucher I won in the garden competion.  The vine will cimb all over the weeping tea tree and then these lovely red and yellow flowers will droop down from it.

 Other gardeners seem to have some idea of when their tropical plants will flower.  It is always a surprise to me, albeit a happy surprise.  I always think that the orchids and bromeliads flower in the rainy season, but it seems that they really flower at the end of it.

According to my research the hippeastrum should start flowering now...I am going away for five weeks, so I wonder if they will while I am gone.  Maybe I will arrive home to find a riot of colour.

Comments

  1. I'm like you. I often get surprised to see things in flower. I'm sure some of them vary more with the amount of rainfall than the time of year. Our hippeastrums are nowhere near flowering at the moment but I remember posting photos of them a couple of years back in full bloom early July.

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    Replies
    1. Forgot to mention --- Have a wonderful trip.

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    2. Ros, That is the great thing about the blog is that I can look back and have some idea of when things last flowered. Every year is different though as you say, so nature does not go according to our calender....

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  2. Hope you have a great trip, and that the garden thrives while you're gone. That's a long time to be away. I've never managed to get an orchid to flower more than once.

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    1. Alison,
      The time is going to fly by so fast. I should be allright since everything is well mulched.

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  3. NIce! We grow bromelias in pots only :) and you have it in the garden.

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    1. Dewberry,
      It is amazing to have these wonderful tropical flowers in my garden.

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  4. Lovely orchid blooms....the ants love the nectar from the flowers and since I have mine tied on to my trees, I just spray insecticide around the orchids to keep them away. I do keep an orchid plant in a pot on my patio to enjoy indoors.
    Wishing you a wonderful trip.....wow five weeks sounds like a sabbatical....enjoy...enjoy....enjoy.

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    Replies
    1. Virginia,
      It is funny that the ones tied to my trees dont get eaten by the ants.

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  5. Oooi must try orchids one day. I know for sure from my blog and photographic record that flowering of things can vary by months from one year to the next.

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    1. Joan, I originally thought when I started my blog that I would keep better track of when things flowered, and how long seeds took to reach harvest. I am just not that organised, so will stick with being surprised.

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  6. One of my varieties of bromeliads is in bloom but my orchids haven't bloomed in a couple of years. I have no idea what I'm doing (or not doing) and I'm afraid my poor flowers must find their own way to the light because it they're waiting for me to do something, they're doomed!

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    1. Laura,
      I dont think there is anything you can do - they seem to make up their own mind when or where they will flower. They say orchids thrive on neglect.

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  7. It is such a thrill to find something forming a tiny bud that wasn't there two weeks ago or has managed to open a whole blossom while we were not watching.

    The 3 you mentioned: orchids, bromeliads and hippeastrums seem to hold the most surprises.

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    1. Jean,
      It is isnt it? that is why i think so much of gardening is just walking around and looking what is in bloom, as you might miss something!

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  8. Everytime I stop in for a visit here, I am filled with inspiration. I love your garden and love your indoor plants as well. Beautiful.

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    1. Oh thank you for your kind words, I just love sharing

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  9. Stunning orchards. Such a beautiful flower. I must try to grow one at some time in the future :-)

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