Tuesday, October 1, 2019

My orchid on a stick bloomed! And other goings on...

While portions of the U.S. are baking in still-summer-like heat, we up here in the northwest corner of the country are freezing. As a result of this untimely cold snap—it's 37 out there this morning—the autumn Great Migration of plants has flipped. Usually I start by taking in the dry-loving succulents, and the bromeliads and things that aren't bothered by a little moisture stay out until well in to October, maybe even November. Not this year. On a sunny day last week I started pulling them in.

The "orchids on a stick" I purchased last year at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, in Seattle, spent summer on the trellis next to the garage. Truth be told I kind of forgot about them, what with all the bromeliads tucked in around them.

So imagine my surprise when I pulled them down and spotted this on the Bulbophyllum saurocephalum...

What the heck!?

I never imagined this thing would actually bloom, I bought it for the foliage. Look at those tiny little flowers. Pretty cool eh?

And is that a seed? Crazy.

So here's what the basement currently looks like.

The bromeliad collection may have grown a bit.

They've even crept over into the succulent side. I need to start bringing in the succulents this week. They've already been out in much more rain than I like. Our Septembers are usually dry, not this year.

Back over to the bromeliad side.

Yes, I know what you're thinking. That's a lot of plants. I agree. I carried them all downstairs.

After reading about Kim at Urban Soule purchasing a humidity meter for her (now indoor) bromeliads, well, I copied her. My plants are so wet from all the rain that the humidity reading is high. "Most bromeliads grow best indoors at a relative humidity of 40 to 60 percent" (source) not a problem...

Weather Diary, Sept 30: Hi 60, Low 39/ Precip 0

All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

24 comments:

  1. My greenhouse thermometer also gives me a humidity reading, which is useful. I keep all my tender succulents under the front porch roof, so they hadn't been rained on, I actually gave each one a drink as I put it away. This weather has been so freakish, it was 35 here yesterday and this morning. Hope your plants all survive their winter either in the basement or in the shadehouse/greenhouse. Maybe we'll have a really early spring and be able to bring things out early next year, to make up for having to bring them in a month ahead of time.

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    1. Freakish indeed, and a really early spring would be lovely!

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  2. I would really like to live in that bromeliad room. It looks like heaven.

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    1. There is a guest bed in the corner of the basement.

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  3. Well, your bromeliad collection will be a pleasant backdrop for those cold days you spend inside. That orchid is wonderful and I hope you're enjoying it. It's getting colder here too but a warm-up is said to be coming.

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    1. Ya we should be back up to normal October temperatures be the second half of the weekend...yay!

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  4. Funny how the collection seems to expand over the summer. Your basement will be a lovely place to wile away the dark winter months.

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  5. It's almost a blessing that you had to bring plants indoors or you would have missed the orchid bloom! I spotted what appears to be Andrew's creative work area. He must appreciates the welcoming atmosphere that you created with bromeliad wall; it looks great.

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    1. Yes I suppose you're right about that. As for Andrew appreciating the bromeliads...tolerate would be a better word choice...

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  6. UP the stairs, and DOWN the stairs... No problem getting those 10,000 steps in this week, Loree, while creating your basement jungle.
    They look happy for having spent the summer outdoors. Love that diminutive orchid flower, quite charming.

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    1. Yes I agree, they all seem to have enjoyed the summer. Even if it was short...

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    2. There's never enough summer to my mind.

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  7. How stupid crazy is that I want to help a few Bromeliad's live plus lots of T's in Tucson? I'm starting out with T's and trying to keep alive a few Bromeliad's. Wish me luck! Seems so wrong.

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    1. Good luck! I don't think it's stupid crazy at all. The heart wants what it wants.

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  8. Does Andrew have his own basement? Sorry! I couldn’t help myself.

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    1. Ha! He used to have a desk where the flat surface full of bromeliads is now (the 16th photo) but decided to reduce his studio space to fit along the east wall, a series of flat surfaces, filing cabinets and a desk. I quickly took over that space for plants.

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  9. I don't have to bring anything in yet, but I'm starting to strategize .Protecting the Mangaves from snails when the rains start is the main task for outside-they were brutal last year but I'm pleased with how well they outgrew the damage. How crappy that you have to start schlepping things inside in Sept ! I looked it up and my first frost last year was not til the beginning of December-but we had rain in fall.

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    1. Our first frost was crazy late last year, at least December. Of course we haven't technically had a frost yet. Maybe this will be it for awhile. Hmm, that would be nice. Good luck with the mangaves!

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  10. My festival orchid purchase, a Pleurothallis pectinata, has been doing great as well; the leaves vaguely remind me of giant pendant Moluccella laevis bracts. As for the weather, I think we deserved a late winter this year after such a delayed spring. Temperature, much like humidity, really should not drop below 40 in my opinion!

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    1. Oh I like the looks of that Pleurothallis pectinata, I wonder if I will be able to resist adding to the collection at the next festival? February seems so far away. And ya, temperatures never going below 40, that would be dreamy!

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  11. It appears that you transferred half of your garden to your basement. You will have a lot to keep you busy this winter. A delightful space. The orchid is most interesting. I haven't seen one like that before.

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  12. Your basement looks divine! Funny how the plant collections seem to get larger somehow. I wonder how that happens?

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  13. That is 1 beautiful basement.

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