January in flowers - what's in bloom here?

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!

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.

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.