Kim’s Garden
My good friend and fellow orchid nut Kim lives a few blocks away. She’s just on the other side of Dolores Park in San Francisco’s Mission District, and our microclimates are very close. Like me, she’s run out of room for orchids inside, so she enjoys cool growing varieties that can stay outside all year. For a recent visit, I actually remembered to bring my camera, and got some nice shots. The first set shows a purple Encyclia (an Epidendrum relative,) an orange Masdevallia with purple spots, and a purple Arpophyllum (with flowers similar to the related species that I keep.)
Next, this fascinating Coelogyne provides another great example that not all orchid beauty comes from warm, tropical jungles. This species is native to the foothills of the Himalayas, in a region stretching through India, Nepal, China, and Burma. The flowers have a great fringed lip, and they can last for months.
Finally, some of Kim’s non-orchid blooms include a waxplant and a bromeliad. With such wonderful flowers, it’s always a pleasure to hang out in Kim’s garden.
Explore posts in the same categories: Cool Growers, General Gardening, Photos
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November 25th, 2009 at 6:28 am
Those are wonderful looking Coelogynes. Very fancy.
November 25th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Hi there!
The waxplant is a Hoya, and is likely about 30+ years old! I have more blooms just getting ready to open, I love this plant.
I have had good luck with Coelogynes in this climate, most are reliable bloomers for me. The only issue is providing the dryness that some require during the winter in our climate….winters my house is even more cluttered with plants due to bringing some inside that I just cannot keep dry out there!
December 2nd, 2009 at 8:48 pm
it looks like Kim and I have something in common: we both love purple flowers.
December 19th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
thanks for the beautiful photos!!
December 20th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
thats a great encyclia!
December 23rd, 2009 at 12:01 pm
great article & pics
January 26th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
The information here is great.
Thanks
May 3rd, 2010 at 5:35 am
great post as usual!