At an orchid show several years ago, I spotted a neglected plant on a back table for only $3. Since it had a flower spike starting to grow, it seemed like a great bargain to me, and I bought it. The orchid was this beautiful Miltonidium, which has bloomed repeatedly for me, so I definitely […]
If you’re welcoming today’s summer solstice by enjoying some time outdoors, it’s always a good idea to keep your eyes open for whatever surprises nature can offer. Some can be so petite that they’re easy to overlook, but I find it’s often worth the effort to be observant. Case in point: these delightful Orchis flowers, […]
Here are some more photos from the tropical rainforest exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences. The first set shows 2 kinds of Epidendrums. With fragrant green, white, and purple flowers, Epidendrum paniculatum is a common species found from Mexico and Belize south to Brazil and Argentina. There are several color varieties of this species […]
The California Academy of Sciences, located in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, is one of the world’s largest natural history museums. Among the many exhibits, the museum contains a remarkable 4-story rainforest housed in a dome. Inside the glass sphere, a spiral ramp allows visitors to explore the rainforest, starting on the ground and heading […]
With cool, foggy weather here in San Francisco, and even some unusual late spring showers this week, it’s the perfect climate for Masdevallias. No wonder that we have 3 different kinds in bloom at once. This first set shows a great purple hybrid with typical Masdevallia traits, like the triangular shape and bright colors. The […]
Our late spring garden is full of great sights and smells, and even tastes and sounds. Orange nasturtiums are common sights in California gardens. Their flowers and leaves are edible, with a peppery flavor. However, the snails make a feast of them much more often that we do. The pink roses have a beauty and […]
Jan-Marie took so many amazing picture from her visit to Singapore Botanic Gardens that I couldn’t possibly fit them into one post. I’ll start with more Vandas and Dendrobiums. These warm growers epitomize the word orchid. With the largest display of tropical orchids in the world, Singapore Botanic Gardens has been a pioneer in orchid […]
Our good friend and cat-sitter extraordinaire, Jan-Marie, recently enjoyed a trip to Malaysia and Singapore, where she visited Singapore Botanic Gardens. The Republic of Singapore is a small island nation located very close to the equator, so naturally this former British colony is home to many tropical orchids. Singapore is also one of the world’s […]
I’m a week late to celebrate the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo, but this Mexican native shows no signs of finishing its fiesta of color. Laelia anceps is a Cattleya relative that’s easy to grow, and one of the toughest orchids around. It holds its large, star-shaped flowers high up on flower spikes that […]
We recently enjoyed a visit to Mercer, Pennsylvania, where Dave’s parents live. Dave’s Mom (and my Mother-in-Law) Brenda has a beautiful garden, so we’re sending a virtual Mother’s Day card with some pictures we took during our trip. Happy Mother’s Day, Brenda! Mercer is in an area of western Pennsylvania that has a typical climate […]
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