Surprise!
This gorgeous orchid cactus blossom, Epiphyllum of some sort, greeted me this morning when I went out on the patio. I had been watching two other plants with buds on them, but had not noticed this plant was ready to bloom. The blooms only last one or two days, so you have to take photos immediately. This bloom is 5-inches in diameter to give you an idea of its size. I got this plant, and three others, as cuttings from my friend Kathy. She gave me several "leaves" from her plants and was sure she was giving me two pinks and two whites. She scored a "W" on the two leaves that she thought were white, but the plants healed themselves and the scoring disappeared. I had to wait several years before the plants started blooming to find out what colors I did have and it seems they are all white. When I mentioned this to Kathy, she said I should ask for my money back.
Growing in the pot with the cactus is Maidenhair Fern or Adiantum jordanii. It is a native California plant that will die back completely, then revive when given water. It seems to love the cactus soil that I have used in these pots. Originally, it started with a little 4-inch pot of the fern that I bought and left on the shelf out on the patio. The wind sent its spores to the cactus pots and now they all have some fern growing in them. They seem to like each other, so I have left them, and the fern lets me know when the pots need water. 
I might also mention that these plants, while in pots, are outdoors year round and under the patio cover which is a slatted affair. So the plants get dappled sun as they would if they were growing in the wild in trees. I think this plant may have gotten too much sun, as some of the stems have turned reddish. It's possible I need to add an acidifier to the soil, too. I have neglected my poor potted plants this year and have not given them any fertilizer as I usually do about twice a year. It's been on my to-do list for over a month now. Maybe, today will be the day. The heat wave appears to be over and temps are returning to normal.
This gorgeous orchid cactus blossom, Epiphyllum of some sort, greeted me this morning when I went out on the patio. I had been watching two other plants with buds on them, but had not noticed this plant was ready to bloom. The blooms only last one or two days, so you have to take photos immediately. This bloom is 5-inches in diameter to give you an idea of its size. I got this plant, and three others, as cuttings from my friend Kathy. She gave me several "leaves" from her plants and was sure she was giving me two pinks and two whites. She scored a "W" on the two leaves that she thought were white, but the plants healed themselves and the scoring disappeared. I had to wait several years before the plants started blooming to find out what colors I did have and it seems they are all white. When I mentioned this to Kathy, she said I should ask for my money back.
Growing in the pot with the cactus is Maidenhair Fern or Adiantum jordanii. It is a native California plant that will die back completely, then revive when given water. It seems to love the cactus soil that I have used in these pots. Originally, it started with a little 4-inch pot of the fern that I bought and left on the shelf out on the patio. The wind sent its spores to the cactus pots and now they all have some fern growing in them. They seem to like each other, so I have left them, and the fern lets me know when the pots need water. 
I might also mention that these plants, while in pots, are outdoors year round and under the patio cover which is a slatted affair. So the plants get dappled sun as they would if they were growing in the wild in trees. I think this plant may have gotten too much sun, as some of the stems have turned reddish. It's possible I need to add an acidifier to the soil, too. I have neglected my poor potted plants this year and have not given them any fertilizer as I usually do about twice a year. It's been on my to-do list for over a month now. Maybe, today will be the day. The heat wave appears to be over and temps are returning to normal.
I love these pictures. Please send TMK home with some prints of these four our entry.
ReplyDeleteMMK