I didn't really expect to have a lot to post this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. As you can see above, my houseplant areas are mostly a sea of green. (Okay, and silver, and chartreuse, and purple... details on that will have to wait for Foliage Follow-Up tomorrow!) But the passalong abutilon from Kylee absolutely glows in this grouping. Here's a closer shot of its delicate bloom:
And I think that the Meyer Lemon is getting to be a little bit of a drama queen, too. After a whole week or two without getting any blog-love from me, it decided that it needed to throw out some more flowers. At least 4 different branches have swelling buds like these:
And then there are the sneaky blooms, like this rescued peace lily whose flower spathe gets "lost" against the white wall in the dining room:
And the jewel orchid, whose flower stalk keeps growing along the curtain, meshing in with the white lace. Here it's being held upright so it can be seen:
And then there are the sneaky flowers that are blooming in the attic. My attempts at forcing dormancy in the chilly attic have achieved mixed results... but this abutilon megapotanicum seems fairly happy with its surroundings, even if it is a bit faded in color:
And the euphorbia is convinced that early spring is upon us:
From forced dormancy, we'll go to forced bloom... and close with a few shots of the gorgeous orchid I got from a coworker for my birthday last week:
The lighting in my office is atrocious, but I think that you can still tell how electric the color is on this phal. To see what's lighting up other gardeners' lives this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens!
14 comments:
I love your birthday orchid! The color is perfect~and the abutilon is another delight! Hoping you are keeping warm...You do need a H venalis "Bernice" gail
wow, you are getting some great blooms from ohio, this time of the year? i love the abutilon, its looking great!
Do we really force plants to do our will, or is it that we trick them into bloom? You've done a good job.
I really like the jewel orchid, both the foliage and the blooms. It must be reaching for the sunlight if it's tangling with the curtains...
That jewel orchid is stunning. Happy GBBD!
that orchid is a beauty!
Lucky you with pretty blooms and a Meyer Lemon! I'd love to live where I could pick lemons off a tree. If you can get the Phal to rebloom, please let us know how!
Gail... stop tempting me with 'Bernice'!!! lol. Oh, how I wish I had ROOM for a witch hazel. *sigh*
noel, I know! That's why I was so surprised, too--February is usually pretty flower-less around here.
NellJean, I like that idea. Trickery seems a little nicer than forcing. Maybe we can just say "cajoling" them instead? ;)
James, I think it IS reaching for the sunlight a little bit. But it's almost working its way out of the sunlight at the end of the bloomstalk! That said, when the bloom stalk first started it was growing toward the ficus behind, so I turned it to face where I could see it.
Caroline, and Dirty Girl, thank you! I enjoy them both. :)
Lynn, the phals should be pretty easy to get to rebloom. I had one in an east-facing window for a long time that rebloomed about every year. Just don't let them dry out completely, but don't overwater them, either (don't you hate that advice, by the way?! lol) and if you still have trouble then you might want to mix in some orchid food, too...
I have that same abutilon as you in the first picture. Aren't they wonderful?? You have some unique blooms here Kim. Love em. Happy GBBD.
Happy Birthday! That Orchid is a wonderful present, love the color. The Abutilons are pretty flashy too, but I really like the simple elegance of the Peace lily.
What a gorgeous orchid! That must certainly light up your office. We have to be very creative for a February Bloom Day, but you do have some lovely blooms to share. A belated Happy Birthday!
Wow Kim,that is an impressive list of indoor blooms! I hope you get more baby Meyers! Did the others ripen?
Now there's a peace lily that looks like it's supposed to look! My poor plant is chopped down to the level of the pot it's in...courtesy of the 'resident kitty'! Fascinating 'jewel orchid' (wasn't familiar with that) and the abutilon bloom from Kylee is pretty. *Must get one-I've just made a note;-)The orchid is definitely electric;-)
Oh Kim, I just KNEW you'd do well with the Abutilon! I'm glad it's blooming for you. Such lovely veined blooms it has.
I got my first jewel orchid as a rescue a couple of weeks ago and it's planted in my Wardian case. I'll blog about it one of these days soon. I love the foliage on it! Hope I don't kill it. Actually, I got two at half-price at Lowe's. SCORE!
Love your Phalaenopsis! It does glow!
Post a Comment
One of my favorite things about blogging is the interaction--posts are often simply the beginning of an interesting conversation! So thanks for taking the time to join the discussion, and please know that I enjoy reading each and every comment left here. I try to answer as many as I can.