Saturday Update #3

    This week's orchids in bloom were the same as last time, giving a total of 9 orchids I have blooming that I have owned for a significant amount of time over 6 months (I returned the S. japonica to my friend so it doesn't count as one of them). Additionally, there are multiple exciting buds coming up including Masdevallia ignea and the Masdevallia glomerosa I got at the POE (doesn't really count as a plant that I bloomed though). As promised, here are pictures of the Dendrobium kingianum.

A tough Australian plant that can withstand almost anything. My plant is not very floriferous but it still blooms in my haphazardly provided conditions. Maybe it's because my backyard lacks areas of full sun. The sunburn was caused from moving this plant out of shade to sun too quickly last summer. Care is easy: Just give it moisture during the summer, hold off during the winter, and the plant will grow vigorously.

The small flowers are very cute and lightly fragrant, with a honey-like scent

The Bletilla continues to bloom, putting up quite a nice show this year. For some reason though, every year there are only 2 growths. Shouldn't the plant have multiplied by now? 

Bletilla in the light

The rest of this post will not be very orchidaceous so if you're here for orchids and nothing else, now would be a good time to leave.

The bulbs ending their bloom. To hasten the demise of the spring flowers, a recent heat wave hit, with temperatures going up to the high 70s. What a weird meteorological year.

The last full hyacinth inflorescence

A random Acacia seedling I found at my school. It appeared to have been "bonsai'd" from foot traffic or something as the plant exhibited both juvenile and adult leaves but was barely 3 inches tall.

A pretty bunch of flowers near my friend's house

A large patch of cyclamens in midground (their leaves were beautiful) and Peruvian scillas in foreground to the right.

Cute, little mushroom growing in my Masdevallia Orange Delight's mix. Oh wait, does this mean that the media is way too decomposed?

The last Tulipa Peppermint Stick. This plant was growing from underneath the tile piece.

The first of the Tulipa saxatilis coming up. This tulip species is supposedly the best suited for mild Mediterranean climates. Hopefully it will live up to that reputation.

Sparaxis coming into full bloom

Persian Ranunculus starting to bloom.

Bright red freesia hybrid starting to bloom. They are extremely fragrant, like most other freesias.

My finger slipped and "accidentally" took this pic in the backyard. It's quite fascinating.

3/18/14 visit to Eleanor Pardee Park. Here is the freshly sprouted growth of some sort of chestnut. I believe that it is an American rather than chestnut due to the stronger curving of the teeth but I'm not positive. Here on the west coast, chestnut blight has yet to arrive, so these planted chestnuts are safe for the moment.

Not sure but probably Tulipa clusiana chrysantha in the EP park test garden for drought tolerant plants.

Tulipa saxatilis in the same place. It seems like these two botanicals can thrive in the area without special care so hopefully mine will as well.

Byzantine gladiolus. Doesn't everyone love gladiolus species?

Some more Peruvian scillas. The racemes are huge

So pretty

A very floriferous coral aloe (Aloe cristata)

    Yeah I know this is Tuesday and this was supposed to happen on Saturday but I was really busy for the past few days so the writing of this was delayed. I shall try to be more punctual this weekend.