Mid- July seems to be the favorite time with just the right conditions for my oldest Orchid. It is a Dendrobium. It was given to me round six years ago when it was just a small plant.I tied it to the bark of my Avocado tree with some twine and the roots attached themselves. It has been there ever since surviving hurricanes and freezes. Every summer it comes alive with purple blooms emerging from the canes.
Being a Orchid novice I put it's picture on the Garden Web Forum where a fella from Australia identified it as a long cane Dendrobium. He did not know the name as there are so many Dendrobium Hybrids.
I decided to name it my Hillbilly Orchid from a line in a favorite Hank Williams Jr. song. It seemed appropriate as the line from the song goes," he never called me by my name just Hillbilly".
Here is the link to the Hank Williams, Jr song video. Check it out fits in about right for these times we are livin in.
I also got another mid-July surprise from one of the Orchids that was given to me from a Freecycler last year. This guy was identified to me by another Orchid fella as a Brassavolla Orchid after I posted it's picture.This is the first time that it has bloomed since I got it. Several folks that know about Orchids told me this type needs lots of bright light . I was always kinda hesitant to expose it to the intense sunlight here as the sun here quickly sunburns plants. But I took their advice and apparently this orchid loves the sun here evidenced by its new blooms.
After looking at the delicate blooms and some further research I was able to identify it as Brassavola Nodosa also called the Lady of the Night Orchid. It's blooms give off a perfume fragrance in the evening hours, hence the name.This Orchid is native to Mexico south to Central America. It was susposed to be the first Tropical Orchid to be brought back by ship to Holland in the year 1698.
Other new blooms for mid-July in the sandpit here is the Butterfly Flower. I picked up a packet of seeds for this Parennial and planted a couple back in April.
This one is up and blooming now in the garden. It is actually an Asclepias Tuberosa for those so inclined although it didn't state that on the seedpackage.It's common name is Milkweed. It didn't say that on the seedpack either. I suspect this was on purpose seeing that most folks wouldn't purchase Weed seeds. Them advertising fellas got it all figured out.
Whatever the name it is a kinda neat plant with golden- orange blooms that seems to be pretty rugged. The Milkweed is susposed to attract the Monarch Butterfly but I haven't seen any on it here but there have been other Butterflys on the plant's flowers.
For mid-July the Florida State Butterfly is the most prolific at the sandpit.
It is the Zebra Longwing which seems to like my wild Lantana bush the best.The Lantana bush I dug up in Jacksonville and brought back to the sandpit. It is pretty much carefree except for some pruning to keep it inline and not growing wild.
Lots of folks see the Lantana as invasive but I have never had a volunteer spring up from this plant. It is wild and produces seeds which the birds like. It covers itself with flowers and has one type of butterfly or another on it most of the day.
That's the mid-July ramblings from the South Florida sandpit where it is now hotter
than a June brides featherbed { as they say in the south }.
Oh yeah, Almost forgot it is now time to start some Tomato seed. I figure one seed every week from now till September will give a good staggered planting. That gives them about six weeks to germinate and get up to planting out size when September rolls around.
I am going to start some heirloom Jubilee yellow Tomato this week. They go back to 1943 and I figure to give them a try this year. I plan on putting them in the ground instead of a container this season to see how that will pan out. Yes I know that is tempting a hurricane to strike for sure but I will keep my fingers crossed.
--SANDDUNE--
Ooooh, I want a hillbilly orchid! And a Lady of the Night. Those are awesome! I am wondering how cold-hardy they are....
ReplyDeleteBeautiful zebra longwing!
Those orchids are gorgeous. I don't think you're an orchid novice anymore. Glad to see your ZLW. I finally have some flitting around My Garden Path.
ReplyDeleteYour Hillbilly orchid is one gorgeous guy! It's amazing how they flourish in conditions like that. The Milkweed is rather lovely ... it adds a fabulous spot of hot colour.
ReplyDeleteLantana here is a noxious weed ... it grows out in the bushland in enormous ... and I mean enormous ... clumps! We spend a fortune every year trying to keep the various clumps under control out in the one and a half acres we have that's totally bushland. We will never get rid of it ... but our Town Council Environmental Inspector loved the work we've done so far ... so we'll have to be happy with that.
Love your hillbilly and your lady of the night orchids. The hillbilly would be a nice garden addition.
ReplyDeleteGreat shot of the zebra. My milkweed plants did not come back this year, I think due to the long cold weather we had last winter.
Enjoy your wonderful haven. Once again I've been inspired to work in my own.
FlowerLady
FloridaGirl,
ReplyDeleteThe Hillbilly Dendrobium Orchid survived just fine during the prolonged freeze we had in Florida this year. I suspect being attatched to the tree sheltered it a lot. As for the Brassavola Orchid it would have to be brought inside during the coldest weather. It is tropical and likes the heat.
NanaK,
I have learned a lot during the past year about the Orchids I have here. Best thing that I learned is that lots of folks have a lot of knowledge about them. Most will gladly share their knowledge if I shut up and listen. The Zebra longwings are all over the yard here. Must be a good crop year for them here.
Bernie,
I like the milkweed flowers and hope to start some more seeds of them shortly. I think They would look good in front of some Mexican Sunflowers and would attracy lots of Butterflys.
I hear that the Lantana is invasive a lot but have had no problems with my one wild bush. They sell some Lantana hybrids that don't produce seeds I think. My one bush is nothing to keep under control compared to an acre and a half of them in the wild.
Flowerlady,
The Hillbilly has pretty much adapted itself to the tree's environment over time. I don't think it had blooms the first year it was there but happily sends out bloom spikes every summer now. It gets no special care or fertilizer just a shot of water from the hose every week or so if it hasn't rained in between. The Milkweed is the first I have planted but I like the alternating leaves and the golden bloom from them. The seeds were cheap and there are lots of them left in the packet so I will be starting more of them soon.
Love, love, love both of those orchids. Your hillbilly orchid obviously adores the spot where you placed it, and the "lady of the night" is really unique. Congrats on your success!
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDeleteThe Lady of the Night is special I guess because this is the first time it has bloomed for me. It likes the full Sun which is kinda backward for an Orchid. But it is susposed to grow in nature along the coastline so I guess it makes sense.
WOW! Sanddune...that dendrobeum is truly spectacular! I've had one for 3 years, but in a pot. It blesses me every October for my birthday. I love your tree idea...I just don't have the proper conditions yet. None of my trees are mature enough to provide the appropriate space. In time.
ReplyDeleteYour other orchid and summer flowers are gorgeous. I especially like the name you gave the dendrobeum, and Hank Jr. is a classic favorite artist!
Hi Kimberly,
ReplyDeleteThe Hillbilly is tenacious that's a fact.The Dendrobeums like to attatch themselves to trees as they have a strong support and filtered light just like in the wild. And yes I like Hank Jr. also.
hey Sandune, yours is the first blog I have ever read, and I read thru all of 2010! I am in Pompano Beach and I am 3 years into attemping to permascape our property. I have a zillion things I would like to share with you. But alas I am technologically challanged, so I'm not confident I can relay the info with these comments - but I will try. I have never been sucessful with summer veggies down here - So I have focused on fruits. There was a mango here when we bought it and I am up to my elbows at the sink everyday dealing with my harvest right now. Bananas - just got my first flower and fruit recently. It took 2 years. PINEAPPLE! It is a bromiliad, it produced fruit the first year, and it made a baby so it is a permenant crop. It is the one crop I have found can go directly in the ground here, and NOW is when I am planting more. When I buy a pinapple - I cut the top off, peel away the fruit body and stick it in a glass of water. After it roots I move it out to the hottest, most barren part of my yard. I transplant it late in the day. I actually do a fair amount of gardening at night in the summer. I put manure in the bottom of the shallow hole and then fill the rest of the hole with potting soil. Water daily, they hold their own water supply. I harvested 9 pineapples this, my second year and am adding another 10 plants. Now I have a significant pineapple crop that only requires manure and compost 4 times a year. I toss the fertilizers so some gets inside the plant. I always get alot of tomato volunteers from my compost and have found that if I try to move them, they die. More than half produce fruit in the winter when I leave them where they sprout. I use pine needles for most of my mulch as my soil is very alkaline and the pine is acidic - thereby neutralizing it. I have a great, inexpensive shade solution and I have more than a dozen friut and shade trees I have started from seed. Unfortunately this is my limit for sitting still. I'll keep in touch, and thanks for the bloggin', It has opened a new door for me. - Raye
ReplyDeleteRaye,
ReplyDeleteYou have pretty much the same soil as I have here in the sandpit. The best thing that I have found that helps here is adding lots of homemade compost when planting anything.It slowly improves the soil and the root nematodes hate it.The compost bin that I have is nothing fancy but it works with patience so I try to keep it full with leaves and grass clippings.The Pine needles used as mulch is a great idea as well as Oak Leaves if you have access to them. Wish I did.