dyzzypyxxy said:Right there with you two. My particular m.o. involves not being able to throw away a cutting . . whenever I prune anything, the cuttings go into a jug of water, and from there . . .. lets just say I have cuttings sitting in water with lots of roots and new leaves, but I can't remember how long they've been in there. Sometimes there are so many roots they won't come out of the jug!

This is me. A tangled mass of roots.

Lots of pretty blooms and gardens.
Glad to see I'm not the only one that sticks cuttings in jugs...
Last photo is the view of one of the horse pastures from our back porch

Here's a little from our yard, we've been busy redoing a lot of the beds, and I'll try to get some more pics soon.

MJ: Wow, your property is amazing ... look at all those beautiful plants! Love the variegated Monstera!

A beautiful yard The total opposite of mine where I have to scrounge for shade (on purpose - plumeria like sun!).
I have that Monstera too; they used to be very high priced but are getting more reasonable now.

Bee-yew-tiful, Mj. The pasture shot is just so peaceful. Any bluebirdies? I recognize some of those plants! That variegated Monstera ( ? ) back there is fabulous.

Begonias Don Miller and Maurice Amy putting on a leafy show. Their new friend needs an ID but I divided her sister yesterday and have 11 new plants from one 4in pot!

Glad you joined us & posted your photos MJ. Very pretty. I like the angel wing begonias there.

And I like that one in your last photo on the right Elaine.

Thanks everyone..
LOL, Elaine you should recognize a few of them...you have the moms !

Yup, Bluebirds, we have several houses for them. I think they are on their 3rd go round now. Not sure if it's the same set but they are building a new nest again.
I've noticed a big drop in the grasshoppers this year which I really think is their doing.

That variegated Monstera is one of my prized babies....a gift from Rita.

MJ and Elaine, I envy your shades too and the varieties of your beautiful collection. I have very little shade since we don't have big trees around us. My front garden is partly shaded by my plumeria trees but I'm sun all around. Have to choose full-sun loving plants to save money!

I too root plants and if they look happy, they stay where they are till it gets root bound MJ I have that little plant (third from the bottom) rooting in my office for months now. The Mother plant is "huge" but mine is just 5 inches tall.

Actually that area between the barn and riding arena is the other real shady area we have. Rest of yard is pretty much full sun.

Given the wildfire situation, I can see the wisdom of not having a whole lot of trees around you, out there! Guess it's been no sweat this year, though, huh?

Couple of orchids blooming this week, Bc. Yellow Bird starts out pink and white and graduates through pale yellow to almost orange. Big ol' NOID cattleya, and these are my red daylilies on their third round of blooming since April.

Elaine, those are beautiful blooms. Orchids is my downfall, I was sooo good at it already and then all of a sudden my collection (total of 50 varieties) died one by one and I'm left with a few but they don't look healthy. I can't bring them out because it gets too hot!!!

Yup, you do need some shade for orchids to grow outdoors in summer in FL. Mine are nearly all outside but in the pool cage, about 20% shaded. They can still get sunburn through the screen. So I have two big tall Brugs that are on wheels that shade the sun loving orchids through the middle of the day. They take the summer temperatures pretty well, it's the strong sun that hurts them. Or too much rain!

The 'quarantine' area is outside the cage, but under the big oak tree's canopy. Sometimes the ones out there do better than the ones in the cage - go figure! I treat then banish any plants that show signs of insects or black fungus to prevent it spreading to the rest of the orchids. I have about 100 orchids now, it's a true addiction!

If you have to keep them indoors, how about a guest bedroom that doesn't get used much? Turn off the a/c vent in there, and put them near the window? They really don't like cool, dry air. If you can't do that, what about hanging them on the lower branches of your plumerias? I'm thinking any orchid will do better with heat and high humidity vs. cool, but low humidity like in the house in summer.

Here are my orchid areas in the pool cage - first shelf unit with a little temporary 'umbrella' over it against the 3in. of rain we got yesterday - and more expected today! The other shelf units are under the roof overhang so they get a little spray but not the pouring rain, and morning sunlight. At this time of year, I pull out the roller shade at about 11am to keep them cooler, see 3rd pic. Come about mid-August I won't have to do that any more.

Elaine, love the orchids and those Daylilies! Bc. Yellow Bird is pretty but that noid Cat is so amazing, I love that color! A couple of my orchids have been blooming lately too ... it's very windy outside today but I went out and took some pic's. I am a lousy orchidist (LOL, is that a word?) My plants are neglected for the most part. They don't get watered or fertilized properly and I've lost some due to the lack of proper care.

Broughtonia sanguinea 'Aurea'


Laelia purpurata x Bl. Richard Mueller:


Louiscappeara (F/K/A Yamadara) Queen Adelia 'Kiilani':

I wish I had more shade because my orchids suffer from too much direct sun.

I wish! I have a covered porch but no screen, my Catt has been trying to bloom for weeks now and it is on the back porch but I don't think it likes it their. I was able to rescue my dying dendobriums and hey love being attached o plumeria trees.

Lin, your orchids are wonderful! I know lots of people here who grow orchids out in their gardens, and pretty much just ignore them. If you can get them acclimated, and established in a spot they like - they're survivors! Selby Gardens has huge Laelias in their oak trees that bloom wonderfully in the early spring. No cold protection or anything.

I'm no expert on catts, for sure, but I've learned that when they are threatening to bloom they do need more water, Gigi. Otherwise the sheaths just dry up. Grim experience speaking here . . .

When I was out taking those pictures, I discovered something else - my Vandas are really loving all the rain! New growth, both leaves and roots coming on! I guess you can't overwater a bare-root Vanda. They are new to me this year, so lots to learn. I'm thinking come winter they will be the first indoor plants I've had since moving to FL - they will need to hang in our bathroom window for the cold weather and I'll be able to use the hand-held shower head to spray them!

Elaine: That Vanda looks really healthy! I have one little Vanda that looks terrible; I bought it about two years ago (a Home Depot purchase) and it's bare root in a little basket like yours but it doesn't seem to like the neglect it gets at my house.

Thanks, Lin but I can't take the credit. I've only had my 4 Vandas since April so I haven't had a chance to neglect them really well yet.

I leave my pump sprayer outside the patio door that gets me to the garden all day. Trying to get into the habit of giving the Vandas a good old squirt every time I go out. Once a week the sprayer has weak soluble fert in it, but mostly it's just rainwater. I had no idea they would like so much water.

Many of my Orchids are bare root, most mounted on wood and the one bare root Vanda is in the little plastic basket. When plants are bare root they really need watering/misting often but I am really a neglectful gardener.

Elaine you may be right on my Cattleya, I don't think mine will ever bloom because it probably needed more water. I just attached my vanda on a tree this morning.