Ursula, I may have asked you this before, but do you use any shading on your sunroom/greenhouse addition?

I bit the bullet and OK'd the construction. I have paid two initial payments (contractor and glass fabrication). Florian says it will take approximately six weeks to get the glass fabricated and shipped to me. Y'all can either visit me in my sunroom or in the poor-house when I pay for it all. Believe it or not, and this may occur ONLY in Mississippi, we have a road just outside of the Starkville city limits named "Poorhouse Road". I may be checking on lots and on double-wides! If you see my address change, you know why.

It was raining and now it has stopped. I'm waiting for it to cool off a bit more and then I will take photos of Den thyrsiflorum (2) in full bloom 6 spikes. I've had this one for 4 or 5 years and it sulked for 2 years after re-potting. This is the best blooming I have ever had on it.

I just came in and can't raise either arm. Ken, you're close. I have 90 3-cubic foot bags, or 270 cubic feet or 10 cubic yards. I managed to spread about 8 cubic yards today and ran out of gas. I may finish up after church tomorrow depending on how I feel. I know I have a Lycaste blooming out there but can't lift the camera.

Jim

I know the feeling, Jim. My figures were based on 2 cf. bags. If the mulch is wet, 3 cf. bags just wear me out.

Ken, I don't have any additional shading, but if I remember correctly, the glass itself has a small percentage of shading, perhaps 10 % or thereof.
Expensive now, but I am sure you will love the final result. My greenhouse is now 15 years old and it really held up well. Florian does a good job.
Jim, I can feel with you, as my greenhouse is now almost empty, and the cage is filling up.
My Fitbit is smiling all day long!

Actually, the roof will be the top-grade and is supposed to have a great deal of shading. It also prevents 100% of the UV from penetrating. I guess I will just have to see whether additional shading is necessary when it is all installed. Just from an esthetic standpoint, I would love not to have to use shading.

Thanks for the information, Ursula.

My polycarb roof panels block 20% of the light. Then I added Aluminet 50% over the top. The Aluminet made a huge difference, controlling both temperature and light. All of the orchid growers down here use it.

I took a shower and feel better so I grabbed the camera and went out into the OC. I don't bloom many Lycaste orchids so let's enjoy this one while we have it. This is Lycaste [Lyc.] aromatica:



Here is another one you don't see every day: Tetratonia [Tttna.] Dark Prince (Bro. sanguinea x Ttma. canaliculata)


Jim

Those are both just lovely, Jim. Is the Lycaste fragrant, as the name sort of implies?

Ken, I did an Oops here!! I was correct when I said there is no additional shading from September to when I clear the Orchids out, which will be done usually around the middle to end of May.
Once the greenhouse is totally empty for the Summer, I install Aluminet on the inside of the ceiling. That drops the temperature by ca 20 degr and I take the greenhouse off- line. No air conditioning over the Summer needed in there that way!

Jim, I love the Lycaste aromatica! And of course the Tetratonia is really cute.
Are you directing any water towards this particular Lycaste in Winter?

It is slightly fragrant but nothing to write home about..

Jim

Just testing the picture quality one more time. This is Rlc. Waianae Leopard 'C.H.' AM/AOS x Enc. Ginger Snap 'Florida SunCoast' and C. Mark Jones 'Myakka' x C. peckaviensis 'OK' I just photographed yesterday.

As I browse through orchid pictures here, the display quality compared to FB is pretty bad but when one clicks on a picture it shows a bit better.

Reds are just hard for any camera, Fred. Glad to see ya, been a while.
Jim, is that one of the ones I shipped to you last year? It smells best in early morn.

Hmm, FB cuts your pictures severely in size.
Not sure what you mean, Fred, but in any case those two Cattleyas are gorgeous!!

I don't know what you mean either, Fred. I take pride in the pictures I post here and find no reason to complain or make excuses.

Jim

I think Fred meant that the thumbnails don't do the photos justice. You can see the full beauty when you click for the full picture!

Here is Dendrobium thyrsiflorum. 6 spikes on this one this year put on a nice show.

That's a beauty, Melissa. A ribbon winner for sure.

Jim

It's just gorgeous, Melissa. How could there be a nicer picture than that - looks like a calendar shot to me. Jim's are always perfect, too. But some of us do indulge in cell phone shots occasionally, and those can certainly be less than perfect.

Even the pot is pretty!

I know I have two more yards of mulch that needs moving out in the driveway but it is really hot out there and I am still a little beat from yesterday. Perhaps I'll go out around 6 or 6:30.

Jim

I was going to say "beautiful", but Jim beat me to it. Then I was going to say "gorgeous", but Elaine beat me there. Oh well, I will just say I love them.