January 14, 2009

January in flowers - what's in bloom here?

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Everything is covered with snow in my garden and for the first time ever, there is not even a single bloom outdoor - I joined the club.

This is the time, when house plants can cheer us up! On the honrable place there is - of course - my new orchid Odontonia Samourai - level of easiness to grow similar to Phalaenopsis.

The major difference is that Odontonia does not grow flowers again on the same stem, so after flowers are gone, you may cut back as low as you can reach it.

You know what I like most about it? It is FRAGRANT! but only in certain hours - there is no scent in the evenings.

I am sorry to make you bored with repeating the fregrance issue again and again, but I believe that beautiful fragrance of flowers at home make our living space better.

Orchids are special - they may combine beautiful flowers with beautiful fragrance.

Odontonia is a hybrid intergenera plant belonging to Oncidium group, its parents are Miltonia and Odontoglossum.

I read often, that even people with green thumbs have problems to make Phalaenopsis it rebloom. Maybe because in media there is often misleading information about how to care about them. I read that orchids don't like direct sunlight - maybe this is true in the countries, where temperature gets high and sun is really strong. They need a lot of light, so if you don't plan to make for them a special spot with artificial light, your orchid should be standing as close to south window as possible. Mine are placed directly on the southern windowsill.

I experinced, that in zone 6 only July's sun can be little too strong - for that month I move my orchids away from direct sunlight, but not to shadowy place.

Another critical point for orchid is starting the heating indoor - if placed too close, should be moved to cooler and less dry spots.

There is also a lot misinformation about how wet you should keep it - at the base it has to get dry, so watering 1 time a week/or 2 is enough.

Your orchid will be really happy!



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Calanchoe grown from little cutting 'stolen' from doctor's room one year ago - grows surprisingly fast and it blooms since over one month! That's really cheering up! I just placed the cutting in the soil and PURE compost made the rest.

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Poinsettia will be growing in my house untill next Christmas, because it is much more beautiful while older - just have a look here.


Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is kindly hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

27 comments:

Gail said...

Happy Bloom Day,

Lovely photos Ewa. Thank you for the growing info on orchids...each time I see one I like, I pass it by thinking...the cat will get it or they are too hard to grow. Take care and enjoy the day~~gail

Linda Lunda said...

That orchid is stunning!
In Thailand they grow Orchids in every garden!
Linda

Country French Antiques said...

So beautiful and I totally agree about the fragrance!
Wish you would do a post on forcing tulips :)

Rose said...

Your orchids are beautiful, Ewa! I've never tried growing them, but the information you've provided makes them sound easier to grow than I thought. How do you keep your poinsettia so beautiful?

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Lovely blooms for this cold January day.

Anonymous said...

Lovely pictures, you are so right fragrance is so important. I couldn't live with out beautifully scented plants, but I dont have any plants in the house!
K

Anonymous said...

Ewa,
I don't have houseplants in the growing season but in the dead of winter it is necessary for my sanity. Your orchids are just what is needed to cheer up a January day.
Donna

Minerva said...

Eva, having lived in a country (mountains of Costa Rica) where over 600 species of orchids grow in nature I can bear witness, that they, indeed, grow in partial shade partial dappled sunlight, filtered through the crowns of magnificent rainforest trees, never in full sun. But it is in the tropics. My daughter, in Atlanta, who can kill any plant - as she forgets to water them, somehow succeeds with orchids - perhaps because humidity is naturally high there. Here, in Puertorico orchids are often planted in wire baskets on trees - again, in partial shade - and then forgotten, which apparently makes them thrive.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous orchid! I will have to try one!

Kylee Baumle said...

I only have two orchids blooming in my house right now, and that is all. One is a rebloomer from last year and the other is my new one, which you saw. Oh yes, there are some Kalanchoes blooming a bit in the basement, but overall, they are a bit ugly. They need some attention from me by trimming!

Your new orchid is gorgeous, Ewa!

Ewa said...

Rose,
Poinsettia needs to have pretty much sunlight and constant moist soil - this will make it last longer.

Minerva,
You are very lucky to see them in nature, yeah!
You are right that in tropics, where the sun is very strong they do best in half shadow, but in climate like ours, which is zone 6, growing orchids in halfshadow will not make them reblooming.
From October until March amount of sun is so little, that it is not enough for humans, nor for orchids.
Therefore they either need artificial additional light, or you keep them as close to the sun as possible.
Forget them is also key to success :) otherwise we tend to overwater them.
In my neighbourhood, there is a house with 2 huge windows - one is facing south, the second west.
Both are packed with orchids all year round, which are in constant bloom - soo cheering up, whenever I pass :)
Maybe I can make a photo of it and show it here :)

Thank all of YOU for commenting. I try as much as I can revisit and comment as well. See ya!

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

I must find an orchid like yours soon as I love scented flowers. My orchids do very well; when they are in flower they are in my living room or kitchen and as soon as they have finished flowering they go into the conservatory where it's very light. Quite soon they develop new flower shoots and out they come into my living room and kitchen again.

Happy GBBD Ewa!

Marie said...

I fell in love with orchids a few years ago but I could never make them re-bloom. Thank you so much for your insight.

Carol Michel said...

Thanks for joining in for bloom day. I've been following the Mr. Linky list so missed your comment. I like your indoor blooms, very pretty!

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

vicki archer said...

I love your orchids Ewa and I adore them in the house too. Thank you for stopping by French Essence today and in answer to your question, those two large trees in front of my snow photograph are plane trees which have been cut to form parasols when in leaf. xv

Anonymous said...

You are right, no flowers at the moment but big buds in my Hellebores, any day now Eranthis hyemalis wil flower as also galanthus.
I'm looking forward spring, can't wait!!!
Beautiful orchid!

CIELO said...

Hi Ewa.... I'm so looking forward to see the firs wonderful and magical sign of spring.... ;) Your orchids are beautiful, and I know that even covered in snow your garden is still lovely... can't wait to see it rejuvenate again...

Hugs

cielo

tina said...

You can bore me anytime with mentions of fragrance Ewa. So many bloggers have posted about the orchids that I am beginning to feel like I must have one. Like I have room for more in my house. Ha!

Love the header photo. Is that you in the garden? I am thinking it is. It is nice to see the faces behind the blogs. Have the greatest day.

Unknown said...

What is that interesting green plant behind the Calanchoe? What a great shape it has (even if it's not blooming)

tina said...

I LOVE the pictures of you! And the gardens too of course:)

Anonymous said...

Hi, Ewa! I'm HAPPY to see the orchid with the lovely fragrance you tweeted about recently! Lovely! Yes, we have to find those things that "get us through the winter." So cute you sneaked that cutting out of the doctor's office--it rewarded you well!

Unknown said...

You have more blooming in your house than I do, Ewa...it is the most bloomless my home has been in a long time. Lots of plants, just no flowers. So I must rectify that when the weather gets a bit less frigid.

Terra said...

Hi,
I saw your tweet on twitter and am very glad I found your blog. I love flowers and gardening too, and write for magazines.
My co-worker has a two year contract to work in Poland, soon. It is a small world.
Terra
www.twitter.com/terragarden

Millie said...

Hello Ewa - a very belated Happy New Year to you, may this year bring you nothing but delight & joy in all that do you!

I love that you have featured Calanchoes, highly under-estimated, but always a lovely bright splash of colour when all else is often dormant. I've 3 big pots full on our back deck area & I love them!
Millie ^_^

Debbie Z. Lattuga said...

Thanks for the orchid pics. I am Polish (Zelinski - maiden name). And I live in zone 9 Florida. I am lucky enough to grow my orchids outside, although we did have frost last night. I enjoy your posts, thank you.

Kerri said...

Ewa, your orchid is gorgeous! I must try growing an orchid someday soon.
Thanks for the information on keeping them happy :)
We're having yet another snowstorm here in upstate NY!

Gunilla said...

That orchid is fantastic. lovely photos.And the poinsetta, I only have one plant in the window at Christmas .

Greetings
Gunilla

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