Archive for the 'Photos' Category
Friday, June 20th, 2025
In honor of today’s solstice, enjoy these photos from a recent visit to a friend’s garden. The plants thriving outdoors in her backyard in San Francisco’s Mission District include lots of orchids. Cool-growing Cymbidiums, Dendrobiums, and Coelogynes put on a stunning show. Flowering maples, fuchsias, and a very happy orange clivia complement the orchids. Whether […]
Categories: Cool Growers, Photos
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Saturday, May 24th, 2025
It’s not just orchids in our garden. While I recently boasted about the orchids in bloom, the rest of the plants are springing up, too. They include succulents, Mediterranean-climate plants, and California natives. Some really stand out, like the adorable Fivespots in the first photo above, and the stunning blue Aristea in the second photo. […]
Categories: General Gardening, Photos
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Tuesday, May 13th, 2025
Our garden has been bursting with spring orchid color. With mild weather and regular rains, these cool growers are loving life on the Northern California coast. When I remember to fertilize, I use 20-20-20 orchid fertilizer, but also alternate with light sprinklings of worm castings or compost. The natural fertilizer often kicks them into flower […]
Categories: Cool Growers, Fertilizing, Photos
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Monday, April 14th, 2025
Being an orchid geek, one of my favorite things is blooming a species for the first time. When this unusual Stenia pushed out a single flower bud, I was excited. Over several weeks, the bud fattened up, and finally opened to reveal a fascinating blossom. Stenia vasquezii has a spotted flower with a lip folded […]
Categories: Growing, Intermediate Growers, Mini Orchids, Photos
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Thursday, March 20th, 2025
Celebrate today’s equinox with more pictures from the recent Pacific Orchid Expo in San Francisco. Begin with six terrific Cymbidiums, shown in the photos above. It’s no surprise that they were in abundance at the show. They’re relatively easy to grow on the California coast, and many are blooming at this time of year. The […]
Categories: Photos
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Thursday, March 6th, 2025
Last weekend’s Pacific Orchid Expo in San Francisco was spectacular. The theme, “Orchids in the Clouds,” inspired heavenly displays. Dave and I took lots of pictures, and I’m just starting to sort through them. As always, there were amazing flowers, captivating fragrances, and friendly orchid lovers. I came home with a couple of miniatures, a […]
Categories: Photos
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Thursday, February 20th, 2025
The 72nd Annual Pacific Orchid Expo arrives next week at the SF County Fair Building, 9th Avenue and Lincoln Way, in Golden Gate Park. This year’s theme is “Orchids in the Clouds.” Opening with a special preview night on Thursday, February 27th, the show runs until Sunday, March 2nd. It promises incredible flower displays, dozens […]
Categories: Events, Growing Orchids in San Francisco, Photos
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Tuesday, February 11th, 2025
When is a rose not a rose? Maybe when it’s an orchid that smells like a rose. This mini orchid has small flowers with big fragrance. I’ve blogged before about this beautiful Caucaea species. It’s an easy cool grower with a delicious rose scent. Last autumn, this plant’s blooms were damaged during a windy storm. […]
Categories: Cool Growers, Fragrant Orchids, Mini Orchids, Photos
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Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025
Moth Orchids, Lady Slippers, and Pansy Orchids have easy common names, but most orchids don’t. They have their Latin names, which can be daunting. Understandably, many people are intimidated by long, scientific words. Fortunately, not all of them are difficult. Check out this list of 10 orchids with Latin names that you don’t have to […]
Categories: Misc, Orchid Names, Photos
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Saturday, December 21st, 2024
Celebrate today’s solstice with orchids from our garden. All these photos are from this autumn. The season changes with some blooms already fallen, but others still going strong. As the days start to lengthen after the winter solstice, new cycles of growth will begin. I’ve highlighted most of these orchids in past posts (although I’ve […]
Categories: Cool Growers, Photos
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