Ground orchids and cannas

Rain, constant rain, and this is not yet the wet season - who would know!
The red canna has opened up and is such a rich wonderful colour. I ripped out the vinca that had sprung up between them while I was away.  They had been crowding out the established plants so had to go.  Hopefully now the cannas will enjoy their newfound freedom.   They struggled a bit in the back and so now have a sunny spot against the fence.  I hear so many people who are in love with cannas and find them easy, but this has not been the case with me.   The old leaves always look untidy, and the flower stems are often top heavy and flop down on weak stems, so maybe with a bit more openness I will get some strong healthy plants.
The ground orchid has long been a staple in my garden and propogates frequently, but I will always find room for more. I needed some this weekend  to give away, so did some subdividing.  the ones that are left will rapidly fill in the empty area I created.

In between rainshowers I made up three pots to give to my MIL who stays in a  lovely assisted living home near us.  The gardens there are very pretty. but we thought she could do with a bit more colour on her balcony. I put ground orchids in the center, and chose ones that were not yet flowering to give her something to look forward to.  I will be giving them to her in two weeks so by then they will be nicely filling out and hopefully should have some ground orchid buds.   Begonias grow really well here and flower year round.  I used lots of pink as that is her favourite colour.

each one also got a bit of persian shield and impatients, which grow if you just stick a cutting into the ground,  so hope I havnt now put too many plants in.  I love to share the bounty  my garden provides!

Comments

  1. FloridagirlMon Sep 06, 04:17:00 AM

    What a beautiful canna shot! Love the raindrops. Lucky MIL to get such a beautiful gift for her balcony. I hope some day I have many divisions of ground orchids to share with others.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MeemsMon Sep 06, 07:26:00 AM

    Nice containers for your MIL. They will bring her lots of cheer. My ground orchids are just now coming back from the winter freezes. I was so tempted to buy some more the other day but I enlisted all my patience and stopped myself. Your canna is a brilliant red.

    ReplyDelete
  3. africanaussieMon Sep 06, 10:21:00 AM

    Floridagirl and Meems,
    I cant believe all the rain we have been having lately, but the cannas do seem to like it. Luckily we dont have a freeze at all so the ground orchids propogate quite freely here.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AmiMon Sep 06, 12:53:00 PM

    Beautiful pots for your MIL. After the begonia fills in and ground orchid blooms, these pots will really add lots of color to her balcony! I am in loving with the ground orchids as well. They are blooming prolically right now in my garden. Since I got them after the freeze, so they are multiplying quickly. I have already given away some to friends, and divided them again recently to put into my new flower bed. Very easy and beautiful plants, and hope will survive this winter.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AndreaMon Sep 06, 03:56:00 PM

    The canna doesn't seem to mind the raindrops all over it. I just dont like them when they produce a lot of vegetative growths and almost claiming more space than is provided them, hehe. Those ground orchids we also have a lot here, they are sturdy also.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousTue Sep 07, 06:47:00 AM

    I love your ground orchid! What a lovely gift for your MIL.

    Enjoyed you blog
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  7. sandduneTue Sep 07, 08:05:00 AM

    Your Ground Orchids produce some elegant blooms. Quite nice of you to share them and I am sure they will be appreciated. Plants given as a gift are always[ more better ] cause as you watch them grow they reminds you of the person who gave them to you.

    ReplyDelete
  8. africanaussieTue Sep 07, 08:18:00 AM

    Ami, I am glad you discovered ground orchids as they are one of my favourites, and so rewarding the way they multipy.
    Andrea, I hope I have allowed enough room for them to grow and spread.
    Thanks Sue, it is great to share gifts from my garden.
    Sanddune, you hit the nail on the head - I often will go around the garden thinking of where I got a certain plant and who I got it from. My garden is filled with friends!

    ReplyDelete
  9. tumwijukeFri Sep 17, 11:03:00 PM

    I feel the same way about the canna, but then get really jealous when I see flowers as beautiful as yours. There's also that thing about mozzies breeding in the clumps ... Maybe I should just be brave about the challenge.

    P.S.: I am so glad I found your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  10. africanaussieSat Sep 18, 07:55:00 AM

    Tumwijuke, mozzies in the clumps? - oh oh i didnt know about that - mine are not quite clumps yet but will watch out for that.

    ReplyDelete

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