A Seed Saver's Garden

[heirloomgal]

I was at my "special" supermarket today, and, as happened last year, at this season, their flower section had some potted orchids available that are NOT Phalaenopsis . (they don't mark them) but maybe a bit of online research will help (the plant structure looks like my Dendrobium, but those are NOT Dendrobium flowers). The fact that the flowers are "upside down" should narrow the search a bit (I used quotes because, botanically, if an orchid flower looks "upside down" to us, it's actually right side up, since upside down is the NORMAL position for most species.)

View attachment 56236

Are our plants the same species?
(First one is under an LED light so color is off but I'm posting it so you can see leaf type)

 

[heirloomgal]

So somewhere between khaki & kaka?

Men have such a refined and poetic way with words.

 

[Jack Holloway]

Men have such a refined and poetic way with words.

Not all of us...

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Are our plants the same species?
(First one is under an LED light so color is off but I'm posting it so you can see leaf type)
View attachment 56275View attachment 56276

Actually, I think they are. Mine has the same flower cluster at the top (it's just that, at the moment, only one is open). and the same stacked tower leaf stem construction. And, as I said, there aren't many species of orchid where the flowers are right side up like this. I think that, not only are they the same species, they're the same variety as well.

 

[heirloomgal]

@Pulsegleaner DH tells me that the red orchid is an Epidendrum radicans (they're his plants really) aka reed stem orchid, five star orchid.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Yup, that matches (though the flowers on mine are a little redder than the ones online, probably a cultivar).

This is really my third attempt to get into orchids. Back when I was in my early teens, there was an orchid lady who used to come to our local farmers market with unusual stuff. That's where I got my Colecanethes amzonicum (I've probably misspelled the genus name of that, but, apparently, between when I got it and now they must have changed the genus name, since I can't find it or something like it on the online orchid general list) which I had for a very long time and was particularly fond of (especially because it wasn't as finicky as most orchids, keep it warm and well watered and it not only lived, but kept blooming regularly (at some times, it basically was in flower year round).

Then there were the ones I got in college from the florist around the corner from me when I popped in from time to time (not for the plants, they happened to carry the Cote d' Or chocolate bars I liked). Those came back from college with me, but all of them eventually died, as did the first ones (in my room, my "bedside table/ shelf (which is where the windows are, and hence, the sunlight) is actually the top of the radiator, so during the winter if I am not super attentive, plants can dry out and die VERY QUICKLY once the heat goes on (and there is a radiator in front of pretty much EVERY window you could put something, so it's a house-wide problem.)

And that brings us up to today, when I just get the odd nice looking one from the supermarket and try to keep it going as long as I can (I only have one other one living currently, a Dendrobium) There IS an exotic orchid seller who shows up to the Farmer's market at Union Square in NYC, but I haven't been to NYC since before the pandemic, and probably won't be able to for quite some time yet, if ever (it has to do with wanting to keep a mask on to keep myself safe versus being able to eat and drink while I am there.) And in any case, most of his are both too expensive for me to buy and too large for me to carry with me on the buses and trains (not that I have left that always stop me, I have on two occasions lugged sizable Calamondin trees with me through the city). In fact, I think I have only ever bought ONE from him (don't remember the species, but it was also red.)

Speaking of flowers, second set of pansies gotten this week. Still no red violas (I'm pretty confident now no one around me still sells those, guess I'll just have to try seeds)

 

[heirloomgal]

This weekend was the first for being able to work outside. We've had the strangest weather, nearly 80 F all weekend, but there are still big snowbanks. It was weird to be in sandals walking across areas of snow. Friday we shovelled the snow off the front lawn onto the road, which melted quick. With those temps the yard dried up in hours once the snow was gone and we were able to rake leftover debris and leaves from fall and - wonder of wonders - instead of wheelbarrow it all the way into the farthest section of the backyard, we put it all through the wood chipper right there and then mulched some perennials. I'm so glad we got that tool last year, SUCH a labour & time saver. Plus, I can have powdered leaves instantly where before I had to wait for decomposition. As I have no compost pile, I think I'll just add the next powdered leaf bags to the garden and till them in.

Went through my birch tree bean poles from 2022 to see what might be worth keeping, turns out several will be reusable which is great. I might get to hunting new ones soon (once the snow is totally gone in the bush) as last year I left it to the last minute and that was a strain since just getting them solidly in the ground is a job.

@Pulsegleaner I don't know what kind of orchid this is, but MAN the smell from it this weekend has been INCREDIBLE. This is literally the best smelling indoor plant I've ever known. Sitting at the dining room table working, I kept wondering what might be outside to be causing that smell to drift in? Then I realized it was this orchid. Do you know the name of it? It's not pretty, but it smells like fresh strawberries, candy and sweet pea flowers all rolled into one.

 

[Jack Holloway]

This weekend was the first for being able to work outside. We've had the strangest weather, nearly 80 F all weekend, but there are still big snowbanks. It was weird to be in sandals walking across areas of snow. Friday we shovelled the snow off the front lawn onto the road, which melted quick. With those temps the yard dried up in hours once the snow was gone and we were able to rake leftover debris and leaves from fall and - wonder of wonders - instead of wheelbarrow it all the way into the farthest section of the backyard, we put it all through the wood chipper right there and then mulched some perennials. I'm so glad we got that tool last year, SUCH a labour & time saver. Plus, I can have powdered leaves instantly where before I had to wait for decomposition. As I have no compost pile, I think I'll just add the next powdered leaf bags to the garden and till them in.

Went through my birch tree bean poles from 2022 to see what might be worth keeping, turns out several will be reusable which is great. I might get to hunting new ones soon (once the snow is totally gone in the bush) as last year I left it to the last minute and that was a strain since just getting them solidly in the ground is a job.

@Pulsegleaner I don't know what kind of orchid this is, but MAN the smell from it this weekend has been INCREDIBLE. This is literally the best smelling indoor plant I've ever known. Sitting at the dining room table working, I kept wondering what might be outside to be causing that smell to drift in? Then I realized it was this orchid. Do you know the name of it? It's not pretty, but it smells like fresh strawberries, candy and sweet pea flowers all rolled into one.

View attachment 56344

Can't tell from the picture, but could it be a species of Maxillaria?

 

[heirloomgal]

Can't tell from the picture, but could it be a species of Maxillaria?

Yes! I think that's it! I found a photo that looks just like this one, Maxillaria Variabilis AND it mentions the scent it exudes! @Jack Holloway you know your orchids!!!

 

[Jack Holloway]

Yes! I think that's it! I found a photo that looks just like this one, Maxillaria Variabilis AND it mentions the scent it exudes! @Jack Holloway you know your orchids!!!

You should get a Maxillaria tenuifolia, the coconut orchid. It smells like coconuts when it is in flower, but if I remember correctly, the scent is only in the evening, or is that morning? For the longest time, there was only the reddish and white flowered one. Now there is a yellow flowered one as well.