Starting the Year with Orchids

Prize hybrid Cattleya orchid.

 

Yesterday I visited the aptly-named Floradise, a business in Gordonsville that specializes in orchids, in search of some paintable orchids for my botanical art projects. It was a lovely way to start the New Year off, not to mention a welcome respite from winter. Inside this greenhouse it's tropical every day or the year!

 

Another Prize-winning white Cattleya hybrid

They had quite a few prize-winning hybrid Cattleyas, Phaphiopedilums and others with astronomical price tags, among them the beauty you see above, with flowers over eight inches across! The owners have bred some  prize-winning orchids. I learned while reading "The Orchid Thief" that orchid growers are very a competitive lot, and the monetary rewards of breeding a prize-winning orchid are considerable. These prize-winners are sold for hundred-thousands of dollars!

They had an incredible variety of species as well as hybrids, from huge plants with enormous flowers to miniatures, it was hard to take it all in.  I wish I had better photos of them (I missed so many gorgeous ones)!

 

Hybrid Paphiopedilum with Rothchildiana genes

 

Steve, the owner, showed me so many appealing varieties...the fancy ones were unaffordable for me, but others were very reasonable priced, it was hard to choose. Eventually I focused on slipper orchids, the Paphiopedilums, some of which have interesting markings on their leaves, and amazing flower colors.

 

A complex hybrid Paphiopedilum.

 

Yellow hybrid Paphiopedilum

A table full of Paphiopedilums.

After a lot of back and forth I selected this lovely hybrid Paph. identified as Supersuk 'Eureka' AOS x Raisin Pie 'Hsinying' x sib.--quite a mouthful for such a beauty! Here it is in my bathroom after bringing it home. This flower was very similar to the Paph. that I painted at the U S Botanic Garden when I took my first orchid painting class there with Carol Woodin, a decade ago. The coloring of the flower was similar, and the side sepals had the same spots and hairy edges. The leaves of this one have some nice markings too. I hope to be able to do a better rendition of this orchid than my first one.

 

Paphiopedilum  Supersuk 'Eureka' AOS/x Raisnin Pie 'Hsingying' x sib.

 

Floradise had many other orchids that intrigued me. These Masdevallias were fascinating! Steve told me that the red color of one was due to the purple hairs that cover the surface of the petal, which is actually orange underneath. This combination gives them a rich red color.

 

Masdevallia hybrids.

So many orchid species and hybrid varieties to see, it was mind-boggling! Miltonias, Miltoniopsis, all colors and sizes of Phalaenopsis, Dendrobiums, Oncidiums, Vandas, Zygopetalums, Bromeliads...

  

Another beautiful Paph.

Oncidiums in bloom

Table full of orchids and succulents

 

I ended up buying another small orchid--a Jewel orchid (Ludisia discolor) in bud. I'd been wanting to grow one of these orchids, and am curious to see what the flowers will be like. These orchids are grown mainly for their foliage, which is unusual--the veining in the dark leaves seems to glow from within.

 

Jewel orchid (Ludisia discolor)

As my friend and I were driving away, I spotted an unusual shrub with white buds in front of the owners' house--I hopped out to get a closer look, and the lady of the house came by and confirmed what I had suspected--I was looking at an enormous Edgeworthia in bud. She told me they'd been growing it for quite a few years now, and the flowers opened in early spring. Apparently this shrub does well in their Zone 7, but not in my colder Zone 6 garden.

 

Edgeworthia in bud.

  

I hope to get back to Floradise this spring in time to be able to see the Edgeworthia fully open, sketch it and take in its wonderful scent.

Merry Christmas 2025!

Our home at Christmas

 

Our Christmas decorations this year are much the same as last year's, except that I changed the green light bulbs on the garage to LED. The new LED's are so much greener, it's overpowering! I don't know that I'll repeat this next year... 

I'd love to re-do all our decorations at some point, buy new strings of lights, wreaths and bows, but with the prices this year, ouch! And some of these new lighting gizmos are so garish... maybe when things are less expensive, or maybe we'll be more affluent next Christmas.

 

 My next door neighbor's Christmas decorations have those LED displays that cycles through the color spectrum, and by coincidence, it was in the green mode when I took my photo--it almost matches our garage lights--weird!

Merry Christmas everyone!

December 2025 Bloom Day

 

Streptocarpus 'Wow'

It's the 15th of December, Bloom Day for garden bloggers, when we show what is blooming in our gardens, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog. There is nothing in my USDA Zone 6B garden in Virginia in bloom--in fact, yesterday we woke up to a thin dusting of snow outside and it's bitter cold today--16 degrees!

 

Streptocarpus 'Wow'

 You can see the expansion of Herb's bed very clearly in this shot taken from my studio's window, with the path not quite finished. That'll have to wait until warmer weather comes around.

 

Back yard on the morning of Dec. 14.

 

My Thanksgiving cactus was full of flowers a couple of weeks ago, but those have dropped off and new buds probably won't open for another couple of weeks.

 

Thanksgiving cactus in November.

There are a few blooms around in my indoor garden: a couple of orchids, a Streptocarpus and an Episcia. Two of m orchids are blooming, the Oncidium hybrid just barely--three little flowers.

 

Pink Phalaenopsis orchid

Oncidium hybrid orchid

The Episcia hangs down over the two-story foyer along with a pothos vine.

 

Episcia on balcony over the foyer

Looking down at the foyer.

My foyer garden offers a refuge from the wintry conditions outside for both my plants and my spirits. On a sunny day it's lovely to be surrounded by these!

 

Lower level of foyer

 

I've still to find an affordable Helleborus niger for my garden, a plant that might bloom at this time of the year outdoors. Still looking, though. 

May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white!

November 2025 Bloom Day

Pink Petunia

 

It's November Bloom Day: the day when we garden bloggers share what is blooming in our gardens on the 15th of each month, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog. Now that the overnight temperatures in our area are dropping, there is less in bloom in my Zone 6B Virginia garden, as is to be expected. 

Most of my tender tropical plants have been brought indoors for overwintering, only a few linger on the porch to take advantage of its shelter. Above is the pink Petunia that wouldn't die--it seems to me that these end-of-the-season flowers are larger than those earlier in the summer, and the color more vivid--a last hurrah, so to speak. As an annual, it will be left on the porch to die.

The Datura 'Purple Ballerina', another annual I acquired rather late in the season, I hope to keep alive indoors for next summer, but it may not make it. In the meantime, I bring it in overnight and take it out on the porch on sunny days, and it has put out a few of its lovely flowers.

 

Datura 'Purple Ballerina' 

 

I acquired another goldenrod, a Zigzag variety (Solidago flexicaulis) on a recent trip to Maryland's Eastern Shore, and while it was awaiting planting in my garden, is blooming on the porch.

 

Zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)

 

Other than these, there is little bloom left outdoors now. About a week ago the autumn-flowering Crocus speciosus I planted in early October were in bloom, but those have gone, leaving only vestiges. I think the colors of this combination by the front entrance are very seasonal: purple mums persisting in pots along with the flowers of Irish Moss (Sagina subulata) and the colorful foliage of a dwarf Nandina with dried Gladiolus foliage.

 

Irish moss and mums in pots by the front entrance.

 

My Viburnum 'Brandywine' has now lost most of its leaves, only clusters of blue berries hang on the bare branches. The Winterberries (Gaultheria) recovered enough from last winter's deer damage over the summer, and produced a few berries. I'll have to try brewing some winterberry tea with them.

 

Berries of Viburnum 'Brandywine'

 

Gaultheria 'Fiesta'

The leaves have come down from most of the trees in the woods out back, the ones that persist are not as colorful as they were two weeks ago, when they were at their peak.The mild weather has allowed me to continue my project of expanding and consolidating Herb's bed with the bed along the veggie garden enclosure, where I've planted more herbs. Only a few more linear feet to dig--hopefully I'll have time to finish it before the ground freezes hard.

 

Expansion of flower beds and new mulch path.

 

The native Witch Hazel trees in the back woods are in bloom--I can't take any credit for these, a cluster of several trees was there when we bought the house. The two Witch Hazels I planted in my garden open their blooms in early spring and the species, Hamamelis vernalis, is different. My other witch hazel tree is the hybrid, 'Diane.'

 

Native Witch Hazel trees  (Hamamelis virginiana) in bloom.

The Beautyberries are still holding on to their berries--all these subdued shades blend so well with the surrounding dried leaves to make wonderful combinations!

 

Beautyberries (Callicarpa dichotoma)

Dried Hydrangea flowers and Shasta daisies.

Blooms from my indoor garden will soon be taking the place of the outdoors as winter overtakes us. The yellow hibiscus is one of my indoor favorites. I brought in the Pelargonium I had outdoors and it put forth another round of blooms.

 

Yellow Hibiscus

 

Pink Pelargonium

Both my Bearss lime trees began to bloom once I brought them inside the house--the older tree is covered with flowers and setting fruit. The Meyer lemon is barely surviving--I can't imagine why there would be such a  marked difference between the two varieties of citrus growing in the same environment, with the same potting soil.

 

Bearss lime blossoms.

 

 That's all for today, folks, thanks for visiting!

 

November Color

The back yard in November

 

Our fall hasn't been as colorful as on other years, but the trees finally started to turn in earnest in late October. The first few days in November was when I took this photo-- the oaks in the back woods were at the peak of their color. But after last night's high winds, much of the foliage is gone today. 

My Japanese maples have been putting on quite a show too, and Viburnum 'Brandywine' is still looking wonderful, though the birds have eaten most of the berries.

  

Japanese maples in the east woodland garden.

Closer look at Japanese maples

Japanese maple "Amber Ghost'

Viburnum 'Brandywine'

The days continue to be mild, despite overnight temperatures dropping below freezing, we haven't really had a hard frost yet. The inch and a half of rain we got last week prompted the autumn-blooming Crocus speciosus I planted in early October to finally bloom. Such a lovely sight!

 

Crocus speciosus

 

Most of my tropical plants are back inside the house, and the tropical Salvias are under a blanket of mulch which I hope will help them to survive the winter outdoors. Most of my mums are looking a bit beat-up, but these potted ones under the front porch are holding their own.

 

Mums by the front porch.

 

The pink asters with the yellow centers that I got as a mother's day gift re-bloomed, with a little smaller size flowers the second time around. The Blanket flowers 'Arizona Sunset' (Gaillardia) in the front yard are still blooming.

 

Pink florist's asters.

"Arizona Sunset' Gaillardia

I missed photogaphing the spectacular color of the Fothergilla shrub, most of its leaves have now fallen. A few aromatic aster flowers linger on.

 

Aromatic asters with Fothergilla beyond.

 I wonder if there will still be any flowers in an other week for November's Bloom day?

 

October 2025 Bloom Day

 

Yellow Chrysanthemum

It's October Bloom Day: the 15th of the month is when garden bloggers share what's blooming in our gardens, as hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog. Fall is gradually showing its signs--the leaves are turning, the seeds are setting, and the last flowers of the season are displaying their blooms. Let's take a look, shall we?

In the front yard, the neon-pink Petunia growing in a pot still has some blooms--the cooler temperatures don't seem to have had an effect on it yet. The Gaillardia 'Arizona Sunset' has slowed down but still has some blooms too. 

The newly-opened blooms for the month are the Chrysanthemums, and I have several--this deep red-purple one in the front, a beautifully-shaped yellow that a fried gave me for my birthday, and a pink that I've have for several years.

 

Pink Petunia

Gaillardia 'Arizona sunset'

Deep red mums.

The changing foliage seems to be the main feature in my garden at this time of the year. The 'Brandywine' viburnum is very appealing with its red foliage and the berries turning blue.

 

Viburnum 'Brandywine'

The east garden.

 The 'Autumn Blaze' maple on the west side of the house is brilliant with color.

 

'Autumn Blaze' maple from the front.

'Autumn Blaze' maple from the back deck.

I used to have several huge mounds of Aromatic Asters blooming at this time, but in the last few years, deer in our area seem to have developed a taste for this plant which they never bothered before, so these are the only flower buds they left--a fraction of the original blooms!

  

Aromatic Aster.

Aromatic Asters with Fothergilla in back.

 

Grasses are another striking feature of my autumn garden; the Muhly grass 'Flamingo' in Herb's bed is among the showiest--the ordinary Muhly grass is shorter and more feathery. The Little Blue Stem grass is another grass that I enjoy--its tiny fluffy seeds look like little stars. I notice that it's being used a lot more in landscaping around our local buildings.

 

 

Muhly grass with pink mums.

 

Muhly grass 'Flamingo'

Little Blue Stem grass.

The Threadleaf Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) in the Little Indians bed is turning gold, and the woods in back are starting to show some color too. But thus far it's rather subdued. The oak foliage will probably not turn until later.  It's time to harvest some of the Jerusalem artichokes--their blooms have all gone to seed.

 

Amsonia hubruchtii

The back yard in early morning.

A few roses linger on, but the porch baskets are looking very past it. There's no sign of the Crocus speciosus that I planted in the back bed a few weeks ago--I wonder if they will still bloom or if their time has passed? 

 

 

Shrub rose 'Petal Pushers'

Front porch.

 

We're expecting our first frost tonight, and with it, the beginning of winter's repose in the garden. Happy Bloom Day, enjoy the last of the flowers--thanks for visiting!