you all are having way too much fun ...Been a long week since I last logged in and well my plants returned home from the show with 3 blue ribbons and 1 white ribbon. Not bad for a bunch of 10 dollar orchids. I think I got my money from them. Good thing too.

I got wacked today by quarter sized hail and 60 mph gust of cold wind. Knocked most all my blooms off that I couldnt get inside.Shredded leaves on some smaller plants. Destroyed them. This happened last year to me also and some of the these orchids have been hit 2 times by hail now. I really need to think about what Im doing with these at the mercy of this goofy damn weather. Ive never seen more odd screwy weather in my entire life.

I need to get into a greenhouse if I want to continue to do this. I really like growing orchids. Im stuck in Duh right now. Had to leave and go to work so I just let it go for now. Saved all the phals anyway. The Catts took a major beating. The leaves are all bruised on most of them. Look like I got spotted orchids.I see what they look like tomorrow when I clean up. I got one big mess. Had no power when I left the house either. Had to get out in the storm and crank open the entrance gate to my home. I dont know how I feel yet. Im pretty numbed from the horror of it all. I had 6 inches of ice rocks on my porch in the end of april.

First of all congratulations on your wonderful ribbons!
I am so sorry about that storm, how awful! I can well imagine the scene! Keeping fingers crossed that the damage isn't too severe and the plants will bounce back. 6 inches of big fat hail is nothing to sneeze at! Get your power back soon!!

Congratulations on the ribbons! Sounds like you really earned them. Thank you for reminding me why I stay here in la la land!

I hate hail. I can usually cover the orchids that live on the north side of the barn with a tarp to protect them from hail, but the worst is if my siberian irises are in peak (I have many many on 3 acres). They look like torn lettuce afterwards and that's that for the season. In July, my daylilies (250 varieties) are in peak but they are fine in hail since the next day new blooms open. Hail can devastate crops around here. Hate it. This is New Jersey weather-there was no hail when I first got to New England. It keeps getting larger too.

Wow, what a day you had, Kelly! Way to go on the ribbons, but sad about the hail storm!

Just an idea here - even a length of shade cloth fastened to some sturdy poles, or tacked down with tent pegs would protect your 'chids from hail and other falling stuff. Cheaper solution than a greenhouse - quarter-sized hail would damage a greenhouse, too, wouldn't it?

Like Carol, I'm glad that hail isn't something we've had to worry about since moving to Florida. We did, however, suffer 15in of rain in 3 days last June when TS Debbie parked nearby.

Couple of my little 'death rack' phals, I've really got the purple thing going there. Come to think of it, all my phals are under an overhang of the house, so that I can limit how much water they get when it rains.

thanks you all .


Here is what I have built for my plants. Its covered over the top and the back side with aluminet 50% shade cloth that I didnt have when I took the picture. It has the front and one side to the yard open.
The hail blew in from the 2 open sides. Wouldnt take much solexx to cover it up. Thinking about it getting too hot when I get hit with 100 degree temps this summer. Trying not to build too much. I have to take this down when I move. I meant for it be portable Its all fence rails and corner post from Home depot set into 5 gallon buckets filled with concrete. All the connections were tapped and screwed together. The planters all came from Home Depot too. I make about 3 trips a day to Lowes or Home Depot. I dont even need to have anything I just go lookin sometimes for things I can use. I built the deck you see too. I might end up putting an 8 x 10 mini solexx greenhouse up yet. I dont want to air condition the thing though and it gets too damn hot in them. Most people who have them here either air condition them or take their stuff outside for the summer. I have to do something now after getting swamped today.



I like purple flowers too. They got me started long ago. Im leaning towards going all white. Plain jane white flowers. I go blind from all the hypnotic colors. Give me white

I just ordered me a Snap and Grow 6 x 8 to go on my deck. Im not getting blasted by ice again. See you all with my new build next week. Even better would be if I found a life I seem to be missing

You are not missing a life, this IS where it's at...
Your present set up looks very neat and there is plenty room for expansion. Nice job on the deck! I can see the Snap and Grow as a protector at times, keeping it cool in Summer will be a major challenge.
I totally clean out my greenhouse every Spring, starting now with my Cacti. I keep everything outside over the Summer. We were threatened several times through the years with hailstorms, but my area was always lucky and it missed us. I have 4 large pieces of window screen material ( cheaply to be had at Home Depot) handy/ready to throw over my Summer growing area ( a large cage) if a storm like that threatens. Sooner or later it will hit us too one of these days....

Beautiful Spring weather here today, perfect to move some Cacti on the deck!
In the meanwhile, both plants of C. skinneri v albescens occulata 'Debbie' are now fully open and much enjoyed.


the other plant still upstairs in the greenhouse.


This one is a Cattleya noid, it was mislabeled when I bought it. I like it anyway and it smells lovely. Unfortunately the leaves look terrible, hopefully the new growth will be fine.


Epidendrum parkinsonianum has a single surprise bloom


Ascofinetia Cherry Blossom 'Odoriko' starts up


and another fan of Paph Pedro's Moon 'Perky' ( my second plant) is blooming.


And I am amazed how long the blooms last on the Renanthera monachica. Highly recommended for small and sunny growing areas.

I LOVE that patio set up Kelly...
can you show us how it's constructed? looks fabulous!
congratulations on the ribbons, nice job
I hope the storm damage is not permanent.

with Lindsay. That's a beautiful setup you have for your orchids, Kelly. Very nice deck, too.

Maybe instead of solexx, you could just hang window screening panels around the open sides of the area for the summer? It reduces the sun's intensity by about 20% or so, and would also protect the plants from future hail storms.

A movable shade house! Fabulous idea, I wonder where I could put one?

I am with you on the window screening material, see my post above too. It works well, I installed it just this morning again over the deck, before I started moving things out.

Window screening material. Makes sense.
Congrats on the ribbons, Kelly. And that deck does look good. We actually had hail here in SoCal this past winter. Nothing nearly like you had and the sunscreen material held it all.
Went to our Costa Mesa Garden Show this weekend. Picked up
Encyclia garciana
Epicyclia Mabel Kanda X Enc. Cashen's Brown Sugar
Epy. Serena O'neill 'Hawaii'
Cym.Last Tango 'Geyeserland' x Miss Muffet 'agate' 4N
Maxillaria Picta
Enc. Gay Rabbit

Nice loot!

Thanx. That was Friday. Lynda and I went back to get her some bearded Iris cuttings. Of course, as long as I was there.....Sedirea japonica Nagoran
SEKKOKU-Dendrobium moniliforme
Dendrobium sulcatum

Fun!

I have company but will be back with you soon. Off now to Selby Botanical Gardens. I wonder if we will run into Elaine?

Jim

Looking forwards to your fun report!
I started a new thread for May, hopefully I see you ALL over there, please post away!
The thread "Our Orchid blooms in May 2013" in Orchids forum

Ursula said:It was raining all day here and quite chilly again. At least some stuff was blooming in the greenhouse -
Leptotes bicolor is loaded with buds this year and just starting to open.


My Paph Pedro's Moon 'Perky' looks happy


I had mounted the Lc Jungle Eyes last year to a nice piece of driftwood ( from the Aquarium store) and the new roots are starting to attach.


Restrepia antennifera hangs directly over one of the fish tanks and loves it there. It put on a lot of nice growth this Winter. Discovered some open "bugs" today.


Domingoa haematochila continues to bloom

Ursula,

I love the Domingoa haematochila and must have one! Where did you get it or maybe you want to trade a divisions? I just love it! Also what size is it?

Eric, it is a small plant and I got it from Andy's Orchids a few years ago. I just looked at their website, he doesn't list it anymore. But I would give him a call, sometimes they still have some stuff tucked away, even if it is not listed.
If a division is to obtain, I'll keep you in mind. It is an easy bloomer around here.