December Flowers

11 years ago

Today my orchid cactus had another flower, and so I took a few pictures of what is blooming now - see link below. I haven't photographed the succulents yet because their flowers are smaller, but one of my senecios is blooming now for the first time in two years (photo below). I have more cymbidiums outside that will be blooming soon, and they are just outside my bedroom window. Several other orchids are putting out spikes, and so I won't have to buy any more for a while. I only buy new orchids when I do not have any that are blooming, not counting the epidendrums, which bloom pretty much all year and always stay outside.

The photos of the orchid cactus do not do it justice - it is very iridescent and so the camera cannot capture all of the colors it displays. I have no idea why it decided to bloom at this time of year, but it only put out one flower.

Lars

Here is a link that might be useful: December 8 flowers

This post was edited by publickman on Sat, Dec 8, 12 at 18:44

Comments (8)

ann_t
11 years ago
Your flowers are beautiful Lars.
You would love my neighbour's orchids. Clif must have at least 50 orchids in his house. They always seem to be in bloom.
~Ann
Lars
Original Author
11 years ago
Ann, I'm sure I would love Clif's orchids. Orchids actually do better indoors than outdoors, but we just don't have room indoors, and so I only grow the ones that I can keep outdoors - at least until they bloom. I want to build a shelf in the art studio to hold orchids because there is a skylight in that room, plus the glass doors to the patio and a six foot wide window facing NW above Kevin's art and drafting table. Anyway, the wall opposite the NW window would be perfect for orchids, and so we will just have to build it at some point. It's an otherwise awkward wall where we have our router, laser print, and antique telephone table (made in Alsace by our DM's grandfather).

Lars
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colleenoz
11 years ago
The orchid cactus is gorgeous, if the picture undersells it, it must be outstanding! The hibiscus flowers are pretty too, my late mother loved hibiscus. Do you know what the mystery bush (the pink flowered one) is? I've never seen anything like it.
Lars
Original Author
11 years ago
Colleen, I'll check on the mystery bush with pink flowers. It's not the only mystery bush - the other one puts out rather nice red and yellow flowers and is to the right of it in the picture below, which was taken May 2010. Some of the plants in the front yard grow very rapidly, including the two flowering plants mentioned, but also the agaves and the plant with the magenta flowers. We had to take out the New Zealand grass because it spreads too much, and we had several clumps of it. It does make some nice orange flowers in the summer, but we don't need three clumps of it.

I have another hibiscus in a wine barrel planter in the back yard that makes the largest flowers, but it's not blooming now, even though it has the largest branches and most leaves of all of my hibiscuses. When I can, I collect hibiscus flowers to make tea.
caflowerluver
11 years ago
Beautiful flowers, especially the orchid cactus. You can grow more tropical flowers than I can up here on the Central Coast. All I have blooming right now is the last of the roses, calendula, salvia, and yellow and orange cosmos.
Clare
doucanoe
11 years ago
Beautiful flowers, Lars! I love the color of that orchid cactus!

The purple orchid is stunning as well.

Nothing blooming here now and not for at least 5 more months! LOL

Linda
Teresa_MN
11 years ago
Lars - that photo of your cactus orchid is amazing! You mentioned your father loved the spring flowers blooming in Texas. Perhaps your orchid is blooming at an odd time of the year to give you comfort{{gwi:807}} during your father's passing. I truly believe things happen for a reason.

Teresa

{{!gwi}}

This post was edited by teresa_mn on Sun, Dec 9, 12 at 21:05
sally2_gw
11 years ago
Lars, your flowers are amazing. The gardening that people can do in California would be the main reason I'd ever consider living there. I had a bit of trouble with my Macasaurus (my computer is at least 12 years old, and doesn't do much any more than totter around the web much slower than the youngster computers!) Anyway, for some reason, the link kept going blank after a few seconds. The glimpse I got of your orchids and other flowers was a treat.

Sally