With a minimum of fuss, while we were trying to leave Australia and travel to New York, one of my orchids produced two beautiful flowers. It’s a plant that sits at the back of the pack, never complains and never demands. I always think of orchids as metaphors for late blooming children.
Thanks, Brenda. I love those long flower spikes that open one at a time and last for months! Enjoy it when the buds bloom 🙂
Sarah, it sounds like your gardening challenges make growing anything difficult. Hope those red peppers produce loads of fruit for you. One of the joys of living in the tropics is the rate at which everything grows. Of course that does mean the grass needs mowing every week and the weeds take on Jurassic park proportions if I’m not careful…
I don’t know Cathy, we could do with a strong capable woman in that job!
Wow, your orchid is beautiful Helene! We have one with 7 spikes (the most it’s ever produced), and it’s completely loaded with buds. We are just waiting for them to open!
WOW!! Those are stunning….such a shame to have to leave them behind but sure was a nice send off 🙂
My only plants are red peppers which have not actually fruited yet. I started seeds last spring and summer, got them to take and had to bring them in for winter (it goes to single digits here and red peppers can only do 50-90F (10-32C)) but they’ve SHOT up this spring once I got them outside. They need about 14 hrs of daylight to really thrive. Alas, our temps hold fairly steady in the 85-95F (30-32C) range so I have to keep bringing them indoors and remembering to put them outside again. I get about 2 weeks in spring and 3 weeks in fall when I can leave them outdoors 24/7.
I might not see any peppers this year either 🙁 but at least they’re thriving and not dying. I take that as an accomplishment *pat pat pats myself on the back*
Ah yes, yachts, my dream is a Nordhavn 55 and singlehanding her around the world!
About as lilely to come true as me becoming PM
Hi Suzanne, I’m a sucker for buying orchids from Rusty’s markets. I figure at $12 – $15 they’re a steal! The last one I bought still has four flowers on the spike and that’s six weeks later – no bunch of flowers lasts that long!! I love the delicate robustness of them. It’s taken me ages (and advice from several wise women – Sandy included!) to relocate them into more shady spots where they only get morning sun. Since then I’ve had three plants flower although this is the most impressive one. Of course, now I’m going to expect the rest of them to behave as well…
I think the orchid grew itself, Sandy!! Sorry to hear you haven’t been well – and that the development is full steam ahead next door. Hope the Boomerangs and forcefields co-operated!
Love the idea of a corporate jet with Wings of Fear on the reading list! Cathy, you’re very welcome to sit up the front in the best seats. I’ll be happy being a passenger (most of the time!) since I’ll have a yacht to play with by then 🙂 A girl has to be optimistic about toys!!
And I’ve always loved Malibus – such elegant wings and it sounds like very impressive range!
Hi Helene,
What a gorgeous flower. I use to have at least twenty orchids. But guess what, either they flowered then died almost at once, or they didn’t flower at all. I’m afraid growing orchids wasn’t my best achievement at being a green thumb.
Could you send some down please. 🙂 🙂
As soon as the money comes in, Cathy, we’ll send you an invite to jet shopping! 🙂
Hey, I want in on this jet thing.!:) Actually I suggest the Jetprop coversion of the Piper Malibu, By Jetprop LLC of Spokane Wahington 14 minute to FL290, and 1200 nm range, cost of 1.4 million.
Helene, lovley orchid, do you have any others/
Helene, how beautiful! And you said you couldn’t grow orchids. See, told ya – nothin’ to it.
So sorry you didn’t make it to NY – you should have heard the other half muttering about staff travel when he told me you hadn’t made it. Probably nothing compared to your muttering. (I’ve been off line with the dreaded asthma – most likely cause is all the dust from the next door development). When we come into our money we’ll buy a little jet and you two aviators can fly it and G and I will sit in the cabin like Lord and Lady Muck! 🙂
Oh, and Wings of Fear has at least one vote! 🙂
Right, I’m off to get my head around Boomerangs and forcefields – should be an interesting scene if I can write it well enough. :]