January 2026 Bloom Day

Creeping Phlox in front yard

 

It's January Bloom Day for garden bloggers, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams blog and here in my Zone 6 garden in Virginia it's very cold today. The weather predictions had called for snow flurries this morning, but they never materialized, and neither did the rain yesterday, so the sun started coming out mid-morning. 

I was surprised to see that the Creeping Phlox under the cherry tree in the front yard still has a few open blossoms--they must have emerged during the extra warm days earlier this week, and miraculously, haven't frozen. The only other blooms in my garden are some snowdrops that I planted two years ago.

 

Snowdrops (Galanthus elwesii 'Mount Everest')

 

 My indoor garden is sporting a few blooms--I pruned my gardenia tree hard a couple of weeks ago but saved one branch with flower buds, which are opening.

 

Gardenia tree (Tabernaemontana divaricata)

One of my Phalaenopsis orchids still has a few flowers hanging on, and some new buds about to open. The Jewel orchid in bud I bought at Floradise has opened a few of its tiny white flowers, while my other new orchid, the Pahpiopedilum's flower is still fresh. 

 

Pink Phalaenopsis orchid

 

Paphiopedilum orchid posed for painting.

Jewel orchid (Ludisia discolor) in bloom.

 

 My miniature orchid, Epidendrum polybulbon has two flower buds getting ready to open. The African violet below is very pretty when in bloom too.

 

Epidendrum polybulbon orchid buds.

African violet (Saintpaulia 'Optimara' hybrid) 

 

Hopefully, I'll have a few more flowers outdoors and indoors next month, thanks for visiting!

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.

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!

Ides of March Bloom Day

Reticulated iris.

It's the Ides of March, and the spring equinox is not far behind now. On this March Bloom Day, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog, it's a bit overcast here in my Zone 6B Virginia garden. We may get a shower or two this afternoon, with more forecast for tomorrow with thunderstorms and wind as a front moves in. We've had nice warm weather this past week, but desperately need a lot more rain to bring out the spring flowers--here's hoping.

I was thrilled to see the dwarf iris (Iris reticulata) I planted last fall coming up in Herb's bed! I have never grown these before, how did I ever overlook them? Such perky flowers deserve a place in everyone's garden. My order included assorted varieties in blue shades--some have light yellow eyes, others deep yellow, almost orange, and some none--those reddish purple ones are gorgeous! I hope they'll multiply in the years to come.

Iris reticulata in the Herb bed.

 

 

Reddish purple iris.

The 'February Gold' daffodils are out in force, with clumps in the front yard, the bed by the driveway and several spots in the back yard beds. I can't help but smile when I see their bright yellows, always a cheerful sight! Even better, deer and other critters never bother daffodils as the plants are poisonous.

 

'February Gold' daffodils in the front yard.

Clump of 'February Gold' by the driveway.

'February Gold' daffodils in the back bed.

 

My winter aconite (Eranthis cilicica) are popping up in the back bed, but they have yet to carpet the ground as I envisioned. I wonder how long it it will take before they begin to look like an actual ground cover?

 

Winter aconite (Eranthis cilcica)

 

Within the yellow flower spectrum, some of my crocuses are still blooming--these must be the 'Orange Monarch' variety I planted last fall, but they are not very orange, more like a deep cadmium yellow with feathering. The other crocuses are pretty much done with their flowering.

 

Crocus 'Orange Monarch'?

 

The hyacinths are coming up too--I love the startling turquoise bases of the 'Delft Blue', and the white ones are also lovely.

 

Blue hyacinth.

 

A few Siberian Squills are coming up in the woodland garden on the east side of the house. The two Hellebores under the Japanese maple 'Bloodgood' are in bud, but not open yet.

 

Siberian squill (Scilla siberica)

Buds of Hellebore 'Flower Girl'

 

Buds of Hellebore 'True Love'

The sweet violet 'Queen Charlotte' is sporting its first flower today--the deer seem to find this variety particularly tasty, so it hasn't spread as much as I'd hoped, but it's making some progress.

The Forsythia in back has buds patiently waiting for a warmer day to open--probably in one week to ten days more.

 

Sweet violet 'Queen Charlotte'

 

Indoors, my white Phalaenopsis orchid has two flowers open, and two miniature Phals are budding--I hope these will be in bloom in time for April Bloom Day. My yellow hibiscus is still blooming too.

 

White Phalaenopsis orchid.

Two miniature Phalaenopsis orchids in bud.

Yellow hibiscus braided standard.

That's about it for my garden this month, thanks for visiting, and Happy March Bloom Day!

June 2024 Bloom Day

Texas Yucca flowering spike (Hesperaloe parviflora)

 

  Today is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, but tomorrow, June the 16th, is the actual Bloomsday, celebrated in Ireland and many other places by lovers of James Joyce's novel "Ulysses." The events in this novel take place all on one day, June 16th, 1904, as narrated by its protagonist, Leopold Bloom. Upon the 50th anniversary of the publication of "Ulysses" a group of well-known authors decided to make a pilgrimage to all of the sites in Dublin mentioned in Joyce's book and re-enact its scenes, calling it "Bloom's Day". Since then, every year the celebration has become more elaborate--Dublin's 2024 Bloomsday is scheduled to last for an entire week!

  With that little bit of esoteric literary history out of the way, it's back to the garden for us today, thanks to Carol Michel's May Dreams garden blog. Disclosure: I'm scheduled to be at a family reunion this afternoon, thus some of my photos were taken a day or two before--close enough for rock n' roll.

 

Yuccas in bloom, with my new veggie garden enclosure in back.

Yucca flowers with Red-hot pokers beyond.

  We'll start with the Yuccas--this year my Texas Yucca (not actually a Yucca) put forth its first flowering spike, and I was thrilled! Then my 'Color Guard' Yucca, which is reverting to an ordinary leaf-color Yucca (Yucca filamentosa)  put forth two flowering spikes. I'd trimmed the side shoots which carry the flowers for the past two years, in an attempt to prevent their reversion, resulting in no flowers--but I'd rather have the flowers than the yellow-striped foliage, so last fall I left the side shoots alone.

  Yucca flowers are so lovely and they always bring to mind New Mexico: my first home in the U.S., and the site of my first artist residency. I painted my first Yucca flowers as a young teen for a school mural, and sold a watercolor of another Yucca in Santa Fe as artist in residence at the Mill Atelier. I may yet paint another this summer, if I have the time.

 

Clary sage flower buds with Centaurea 'Emperor William' in back.

 

  My Clary sage (Salvia sclarea), a biennial, bloomed last year, but there are more flowers this year--must be from some that re-seeded and overwintered--it's such a statuesque plant! 

  The Butterfly weed is in full bloom, and I finally have some 'Hello Yellow' blooms, though not many yet. The deer keep eating the yellow ones back though they don't touch the orange variety, go figure.

 

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Prairie sagebrush (Artemisia frigida) with Butterfly weed behind.

 

  The deer have eaten all of my Asian lilies, and most of my daylilies, despite my efforts to keep them sprayed with repellent. They left only a few for me to enjoy like this delicate peach colored daylily.

Peach dalylily.

  I'm hoping to save a few of my Cone flowers this summer, last year the deer ate every last one of them! The goldfinches were most upset, they love the seeds.

Cone flowers (Echinacea purpurea) and garden Phlox.

  The west back bed is not very colorful right now--it's all white flowers--but the Anise Hyssop here should start to bloom soon, along with a few blooms of the Monarda 'Jacob Kline.'

Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) and white Salvia

Red-hot pokers (Knifophia uvaria) and Catmint on west side of house

 

  The hydrangeas growing on the east side of the house are particularly susceptible to the depredations of the deer, so this year I've protected them with physical barriers. Its doesn't make for a very scenic garden look, but it's better than seeing the plants decimated.

 

Oak-leaf hydrangea 'Ruby Slippers' and 'Incrediball' beyond.

 

  Many flowers of the 'New Dawn' climbing rose are still hanging on; it's the only rose that has bloomed for me this year. All the other roses have been eaten by deer or had the foliage stripped by the saw-fly larvae.

Climbing rose 'New Dawn'

  The lavender is in full bloom in various parts of the garden, and the bees love it! I think my Buttonbush is going to flower this year finally--that is, if the deer don't eat the buds.

 

Lavender 'Hidcote' and Buttonbush 'Sugar Shack'

Lavender 'Munstead' and pink Monarda in front garden.

Lavender and pink Monarda in front yard.

   The front walk is now lined with my potted plants--the tropicals winter inside the house, and others I grow as annuals. The sedums growing beside the walk are all blooming.

Potted plants along the front walk.

  

  My porch baskets are starting to fill out a bit. I hope to have more success with these side-planters than in past years. Its seems that every year, at least a few side plants dry out and fail, and the baskets end up looking beat-up and skimpy. I'd like to see good coverage of the coconut fiber liners and fullness.

 

Hanging baskets on porch.

 

   Meanwhile, a few goodies in my indoor garden, in the orchid department. The beautiful white Phalaenopsis is blooming again, and a miniature Phal too. Another orchid in the master bath is also blooming.

White Phalaenopsis with miniature Phalaenopsis in bloom.

Mystery orchid in master bath.

       My next posting will be about my artistic pursuits and exciting events related to art. For today, Happy June Bloom Day to all!