A Little Excitement

These grey windy days of winter sure don't give you much to cheer about in the garden. Right now I could cheer because I have a bit of excitement in the living room. 

As I was spraying the Staghorn Fern today I noticed another bit of color and form on the tree limb I have the Staghorn mounted on. Peek through there. Do you see it?

Yes. Yes that is it. The little Phalaenopsis that I attached to the limb has a bloom! What a brave little bloom.

Let us go around to the lit side of this and have a look. 

Awww, isn't it pretty? It is a different color than my other ones. It is also as I say a small one. It seems happy as a clam here. It has another bloom stalk and several more buds. I can't wait until they open. 

If you enbiggen the following photo you can see how this little orchid is reaching around the limb with one of it's roots to hold on. 

Can't really see it?  Here let me take you closer. You can also see the piece of twine that I used to tie it onto the limb. I will let it rot off. It will be gone by next winter.

I will show you the other side as well.  Two big new roots clinging.

While I was in Key West, Fl a couple of years ago I  saw orchids growing on trees. I just had to try this myself. It WORKS!   

I would love to put all of my orchids onto a limb. They naturally hang down though. I would have to put a tall limb into a pot so I could easily see the blooms. 

You can also see in this photo that the Staghorn Fern is responding to longer days. We might not be able to tell the days are getting much longer but the plants know. 

Is anything exciting happening with your house plants?

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - January 2017

Good day and welcome to Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Come with me outside on this misty cool morning to see what is blooming. 

Unfortunately all I have found outside are the promises of some blooms. The Snowdrops are ready and waiting for a shot of sunshine to make them bloom. 

The Hammilis mollis is wanting to bloom too.I see a hint of yellow at the base of those buds. Excitement builds... 

While I was strolling around in the garden a flock of Canada Geese flew over. Headed out into the fields for their their morning feast. For your listening enjoyment, Wild Goose Song...

Click here

The mourning doves are lined up on the power line waiting for me to go inside so they can come to the feeders.

So sorry I did digress, let us just step inside where it is warm and dry.

Let M'lady show us a couple of blooms. 

She sits here in the kitchen with the rest of the orchids. She watches and waits for the rest of the orchids to pop open some of their buds.

Over in the living room in front of the patio doors the Staghorn Fern lords over the plants. The Limey Begonia is full of sweet little blooms. 

It is a job trying to get to the blooms for a decent shot.

The pale pink blooms with little polka dots are worth the trouble. 

The last but not least is the Black Truffles Begonia. It has quite a few of it's small blooms. 

They too have the little polka dots. Such a sweet little blossom.

For more blooms to brighten your day pop over to Carol's May Dreams Garden where she has been encouraging people for the last ten years to post their blooms on the 15th of each month.

Holly in Snow

holly tree stands full

so cold, the mockingbird feast

berries in the snow

I am joining in with Rebecca and others for Haiku this Friday here. Please join everyone by participating or just having a good read this snowy day. 

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - December 2016

This Garden Bloggers Bloom Day finds me trussed up like a Christmas goose in front of the fireplace. I sit here with great anticipation. No, not about Santa's arrival but about the blooms and buds that the indoor garden is giving me this time of year. 

Not that there is much going on outside in my zone 6 garden that is frozen over but inside. A few of the plants that I brought inside this fall are giving me some buds and blooms. 

The limey begonia is starting to put up some buds that will soon turn into the sweet little polka dotted blooms I like so much.

You can see here that one is about to open as other buds  are peeking up through the leaves.

My most famous performer in December is this Orchid that begins blooming almost as soon as I bring it inside. It is so thankful to be inside it sends up some blooms to thank me for bringing it in. These blooms normally last through winter and I am indeed thankful for them. 

Yes, I know this isn't exactly a bloom is it?? It is a small lemon on my little Lemon tree. I just had to throw it in for a little excitement. It is another thing I am looking forward to with great anticipation.

When you get a little down time and need some quiet lovely blooms to soothe your busy nerves of the season, pop over to Carol's blog for more blooms of the month.

In a Vase on Monday - Outside

The vase I have to show you this morning is outside. Right before the weather turned wet I stuffed some holiday cheer into this urn out front. I took white pine snips from the side lot. The holly berries came from a friends huge holly tree and the red twigs came from my garden. Just a little fun for the holidays.

The leftovers went into an empty planter out on the patio. 

I kept a few holly sprigs to put in the window box outside my office window. I love to see the Mockingbirds discover the berries later when it really gets cold. The Mockingbird often has to fight off the Cardinals for these winter treats. 

Do join us today and show us what you might have in a vase on Monday. Pop over to Cathy's at Rambling in the Garden to see what she and others are finding this time of year to place in a vase.

In a Vase on Monday

On this cold gloomy Monday it is surprising to have something from the garden in a vase. If Cathy who brings us this Meme thinks her vase is a bit of a cheat because she cut her vase full a few days before I clearly out cheated her. ;)

Right before first frost I took some cuttings from a huge coleus that I want to try to have some starts for next spring. I put them into a vase to hopefully grow some roots I can pot up sometime after the holidays. 

While I was decorating for Christmas I thought it looked a bit dull so I put in a sparkly spike of Christmas cheer. 

Happy in a Vase on Monday to you all. Do pop over to Cathy's blog and join in or just admire all the vases set up for our pleasure.

In a Vase on Monday

This Monday morning I have here a collection of small vases that I purchased at auction. I am afraid I have been bitten by Cathy's meme of putting something into a vase on Monday. It is great fun to see what everyone puts into their vase.

Of course winter can be challenging in this part of the country. Everything outside has been frost bitten so I am featuring one of my air plants in the tallest of this group of black vases. The black vase does show off the air plant. 

I hope everyone can find a bit of something to show off in their vase today and you share it. Let Cathy and others know about your vases here.

Happy Monday everyone.