Lindsey, how about a method for rolling up your tarp in place, so you can secure it quickly when the winds kick up? I have my frost cloth on a roller - piece of PVC pipe works great, the bigger it is the faster you can roll. Then just bungie cords to 'reef' it. You could just pass a line through the PVC so it would roll, and hang neatly when it's not unfurled.
Back to flowers - I have some nice new blooms to greet me home as well as the usual suspects who were blooming when I left. Also the Den. crumenatum aka Thunderstorm Orchid has just finished up a bloom cycle. Sorry to have missed it but those little flowers are very fleeting. I love coming home to new flowers!
Two Yellow Birds with big flowery spikes, and new ones coming. Btw, if anyone has this, don't cut off the spikes until they brown because it does branch and bloom again on existing spikes. The deeper yellow one with no spots is my "other" Yellow Bird that actually has a tag.
My Copper Queen has surprised me with two new blooms - I hadn't noticed a spike before I left but it must have been stealthy. Already turning gold, as it's been so hot and dry, the flowers won't last long. NoID Onc. from Trader Joe's with a spike so tall it tips the pot over. Smells wonderful, too.
Lovely dusky purple NoID Den again a Trader Joe's treasure is almost fully open and TaDa!! No thrips damage on the flowers yet. I gave it a good spray with Spinosad before I left, so that sure works well, plus the sticky strips are also collecting a lot of thrips for me.
Then there's the star of the show, Renate with now 4 spikes fully open. Naturally they are all facing different directions except the first two. I might have to stake it when it blooms, ick. Last shot is the first spike that opened nearly 3 weeks ago, fading daintily to white.
