Starting Off the Year

Overlooking the wetlands trail at Blandy.

 

On the last day of the old year and the first few this year, we had an extraordinarily warm spell with highs in the 70's. Being so unusual for the season, I naturally took the opportunity for an afternoon walk at Blandy, and encountered other folk who were enjoying the wonderful break in the weather.

 

Winterberry.

I parked in the back forty to walk the wetlands trail and encountered this large winterberry with lots of  colorful berries. On the way back I checked on the magnolias and other trees in this back area. The Magnolia veitchii whose seedpods I had admired a couple of years ago had been cut back severely--apparently the old trunk was diseased, so they left only a few shoots at its base to regrow. I guess it will be a few years before it produces any blossoms.

Longleaf pine

I saw a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) and observed the geometric pattern of its leaf scars on the twigs. Longleaf pine doesn't occur naturally in our area, its distribution is more coastal, but it does survive here in USDA zone 6.

The respite was short-lived, and by the end of the week it was back to more normal winter weather, and being back indoors, where there is no lack of flowers. Here are two of my orchids are blooming in the master bath: a Brassia hybrid (white with maroon) and a Miltassia hybrid (dark pink).

Two orchids blooming in the master bath.

 The African violets (Saintpaulia hybrids) are also flowering, and my Christmas cactus is displaying the last of its blooms--this one had grown so much in the last year I re-potted it recently, and it seems to be happy in its new home.

African violets in bloom.

Christmas cactus blossom.

 

January is the time when gardeners dream and plan what we will grow in the spring. Tons of gardening catalogs arrive in my mailbox and I welcome them and start dreaming of the new plants I'll grow this year. I love to sketch out designs for my garden, to figure how to expand and re-arrange my plants within the existing beds. When a gardener begins to dream, spring can't be far behind.

An Orchid in Bloom

No new painting this week. Last week I was in an accident on my way to painting class--fortunately no one was injured--but now my car is at the body shop. It's hard to get out to paint when you don't have wheels and the weather is rainy, so today's posting will be different.

My sister Bea gave me this orchid plant several years ago. It has bloomed several times since I've had it, but on its old stems. This is the first new blossoming stem it has put out and as you can see, the blossoms are an unusual greenish color suffused with pink. Several other orchids I've acquired since are also budding and will soon be in bloom.

I don't know why this spring seems to be particularly good for my orchids, though I have some theories. There is nothing so spectacular in the botanical world as an orchid in bloom!