Monday 2 August 2010

back into the garden

Whenever I'm away from the garden I love to see what's changed in the garden whilst I was gone.  A lot of flowers have come in in the last two weeks.  The violas are in full bloom.
http://www.alexareynolds.com/garden10/violasjuly.JPG
Last year only one of my hellebores blossomed, a beautiful purple.  This year all three are blooming ... and lucky me, all three are a deep gorgeous purple (though it's hard to see in this photo).  I didn't know what colour they'd be because they came from a mixed colour batch. 
http://www.alexareynolds.com/garden10/hellebore.JPG
And finally, the snowflakes are going gangbusters this year.  I think every clump has spread this year.  The cyclamen just keep struggling, but the snowflakes are definitely happy.  I hope they keep spreading and spreading.
http://www.alexareynolds.com/garden10/snowflakesjuly.JPG
My snowpeas have also powered along.  I had problems last year with long, leggy plants not thriving.  This year I chose a "bush-type" pea and put it in a larger pot, and it's thriving more than any of my plants last year.  The problem is that I still only get a few pods ripe at one time.  When we eat them in stir-fries we go through a big handful at a time, but this is only giving me 4 or 5 at a go.  I tried to grow a pea patch out the back but first the possums ate the shoots, and then rats started digging up and eating the seeds!  Maybe next year I'll have a full pea patch.
http://www.alexareynolds.com/garden10/peasjuly.JPG
This is my first year growing broad beans.  It seems to be chugging along nicely, but I do know that they take a long time to develop.  The first flowers are only just appearing so we'll see.
http://www.alexareynolds.com/garden10/broadbeansjuly.JPG
And finally, I bought myself an orchid.  My stepmom had moth orchids in almost every room of her house, they were so beautiful, so I thought I'd try one myself.  I don't remember what kind it is but I loved the colour.
http://www.alexareynolds.com/garden10/orchid1.JPG
The garden shop also gave me a moth orchid for free.  Their shop was far too cold to keep them happy so as you can see it's looking pathetic - all the flowers dropped off.  In the words of the garden shop they "needed some TLC", mostly warmth. 
http://www.alexareynolds.com/garden10/orchid2.JPG
I already lost all the flowers on the moth orchid, we'll see if I have the patience to keep it alive until next year when it will bloom again.  And unfortunately, my yellow orchid is starting to drop flowers and a few leaves too.  I hope it survives!

3 comments:

PaperTree Designs said...

Ive been thinking about getting an orchid....just gorgeous.
Hugs
D

PaperTree Designs said...

I wonder how the heat pads work? Ive only ever used the sun...Id better get investigating (Im very new to this).
Hugs
D

Alexa said...

I bought mine off ebay as a herptarium heat pad. But it's a powerful little sucker, I have to leave a few cm space between the heat pad and the tub or else it heats the soil too much and the seeds fry.