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](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t3ApnjIq2wOOOqTu0pvwBuM1kG_Wwt6xonPQBoB3k0hKXHma3SOcx7zQBwhbWVXNicXew3WF423D7mQKak6aZcTB7ojpV43rYexF6jdHNf_O1Fbub5Dpw=s0-d)
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](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uHJGveH2XysTxdwhrR6NaughH7sQEjRR9R7uhwe55kyd1XaOvXj_8TN_U1lDVsgmEknmaLwH5w3nJDeuo5Cr3bh1cV0Gt9AX-6RFPxMoOBPpydOJvg=s0-d)
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](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_thEWwDZS_zFkM1r030O0wmEtASFid4YiW5STu2yk6e3E76YOnsVYSRqSUwov29VQdZNzQj3fsf5_FPcr1Y0HpdDNSG4kE4mV_BivIwRHcKd9ggQ42DD73zVX8L=s0-d)
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](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vwRvo-T0Yy-VfpT3h1VNl8k3WAEyLBYknvPv78OQyF8UzdQgUxzeHo1FPVrhRPez-9Fj5C9W-NQpM6n_83jBN3Xzx7MzK1cBdv7TPVUX8cCrxYrA54=s0-d)
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](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uA8zzvHLaNQ0Jnzvd5H-IdV3acGbula0YMzjihH2joilLQzqpvK_aXFsYHiLxJmgLF8smUwpVmTr5NUxUGFTUWnVspk2eimDbLPcaUwrS_JzO8Efc6JwqN-2tf=s0-d)
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](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tDRJuhcVlQzNU1-2fpOpdSnhoJzslFc-4gS_9bGUQSobFokcXc-OUWHP06r5aojDfgcEF1vFge_Byc1F0Xg_meXWkxl6Bc6aDNM9yLXGSJuu-ntTw=s0-d)
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](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_swseQtw9oDDchmMLMkK_ItZR69kp0mVVpGsxFKaPy-32wL1kxDQUNY8bbXpavgZ4h6jCsgshcYZvtNecvzFuv-bBJ9F8DUfd9JXN-7kRZ0cYr-4_M=s0-d)
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!
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vmXfnv0JqNJPUn94jtyvtbJUIBsqjIQEoV15J3p8xMLEPvLG6BUh_89JSGZxgXT56JW9AjLlZ_psjJnessRlRFmS4ZgJgwlI2u2tzzd-rY70p8a5sDk2MJMm-zENQtMzsuhJqMuImAqkiQcOw=s0-d)
Monday 2 August 2010
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3 comments:
Ive been thinking about getting an orchid....just gorgeous.
Hugs
D
I wonder how the heat pads work? Ive only ever used the sun...Id better get investigating (Im very new to this).
Hugs
D
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.
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