What am I doing in NJ!!! Jim, what a gorgeous selection!
Will you look at the Passiflora! I love those fruits. I really hope mine will do something this year.
Gotta love the Amorphophallus! The stink will only be for a couple of days, but the beautiful green growth is really attractive for the rest of the season.
My A. konjac spends the dormant Winter in the frost free garage and wakes up in early May. I never have to bring it inside the house. They are worth growing!
We spent some time at our place in Pennsy yesterday, unfortunately the weather was not cooperating, but we at least managed a nice long walk through the woods, before it started to rain. The picnic at the pond had to be moved indoors.
The Cyp acaule are up and budding very well, we should have a good blooming this year. And there are also lots of juvenile plants emerging. Anemones and Trilliums are in full bloom, Mayapples and the wild Lily of the Valley are budding. The latter always bloom together with the Cyp acaule.
The cute pink blooms are Gay Wings or Polygala paucifolia. We saw years ago only a couple of plants in the area, this year they happily populated a nice patch. The large ferns are a great marker to find a particular stand of Cyp acaule. Blueberries are in full bloom.
Now this particular plant I have been trying for years to id for certain.
moving on -
The little Rabbit let me get quite close, he jumped only when I backed away.
Some pix from the yard
Angora Bunny-Ears, and a closer look, Begonia Venona ;
Elm Leaf Begonia, Fuchsia Begonia, Gryphon Begonia
Begonias Lana, Looking Glass, the newest addition, and Persian Brochade flower and plant
Silver squill and an Easter cactii
Thanks, Carol! And I agree, the Begonias are very beautiful!
Your Opuntia microdasys albispina looks wonderful in bloom. I have a nice clump of that one, but I have never seen it in bloom. Very attractive! Does it need a temperature drop to bloom like that?
Nice Silver Quill and Easter Cactus too!
Thanx Carol, Ursula.
The Opuntia has been with me a few years now and this is the third year it has bloomed. I have only repotted once and it needs to be done again. I guess it is a maturity thing, but you are probably correct on the winter chill needed to bloom. Many of the cactii I have need that winter cold to bloom, like Gymnocalycium schneiderianum v. longispinum and they all stay out all year.
Name: Elaine Sarasota, Fl The one constant in life is change
Beautiful woodland walk, Ursula. And gorgeous begonias and cacti, Ted. The Gymno is absolutely too pretty for a cactus.
My pride and joy (aside from the orchids of course) through the summer is the Gloriosa lily. It puts on a regular Samba Pah-Ti at least 3 or 4 times through the summer.
The flowers are graceful shapes at every stage. I like how the ends of the leaves clasp the trellis, too (see lower right of the first picture.)
Elaine
"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
I planted a few years ago into the Cage this hardy Japanese Orchid - Calanthe Kozu and I am happy it came back this Spring again. This year a second plant showed up, but no spike on this one.
It gets early morning sun in that spot and dappled good light for the rest of the day.
Ted, the cage is in our backyard here in Fair Lawn. And the "Guy from Japan" is indeed planted into the ground. Zone 6b and all, this one survived several Winters here in the ground. I bought the plant from Asiatica.com that time which is unfortunately no longer around.
Here is the cage with my little grandson, he was here yesterday checking it out. (And yes, the grass has been cut in the meanwhile... )
or as viewed from the deck
The Calanthe Kozu is growing on the right side in front of the Jap Maple. The Cherry tree to the left is outside of the cage, but the Jap Maple was simply enclosed and it grows very well and provides some shade.
Very nice. I once read where almost every state in the union has a native orchid. I guess given all the right conditions an orchid can thrive. All about culture
Yes. Years ago I tried Bletilla striata everywhere in the yard, they just didn't survive. One year I planted a couple against the South-facing sunny house wall, and here they thrive and come back year after year.
Some of the very first spikes right on the wall are starting to bloom now.
I am happy we didn't get frost last night. The temperature really dipped one more time in our region. I think by Wednesday I can start clearing out the greenhouse - into the cage.
Name: Elaine Sarasota, Fl The one constant in life is change
We even got another cool night here last night, Ursula. Slept with the windows open once again, which is a real treat in May. My plants are confused.
Lovely Bletillas. I had one started in a pot last spring, but seem to have lost it. I need to try again, because I know Jim grows them. Maybe in my "cool" micro-climate on the north side of the house that gets the most chilling in winter.
Elaine
"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
Thanks Jim, We are enjoying Jake very much! It is really nice to have him ( and his little sister) living nearby!
Beautiful blooms, even the Amorphophallus, that is just great in its weirdness! May the stink begin!
; 
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