Well it is quite beautiful Jasmin. And you should rearrange it to suit your scheme.

Are those orchids hardy for you? I have never been able to grow them.

East slope garden. 4 peonies in the mix...

Looks good Frank.

Mieko2 said: Well it is quite beautiful Jasmin. And you should rearrange it to suit your scheme.

Are those orchids hardy for you? I have never been able to grow them.

LG, these are Bletilla striatas. I have them in the posts. They are outside till -7 or -8 C at nighttime. I bring them to the enclosed porch when the temperatures drop below that. They should be hardy in zone 5, but I am not convinced. In 2018, I lost all orchids because I left them outside (in the pots) when the temperature dropped down to -10C. I've been thinking of planting some among the roses and protecting them as the roses (e.g., manure, oak leaves), but I haven't tried this yet.

Bletilla striata orchids should be hardy in your temperature zone. Have you tried them?

Thanks so much for the info, Jasmin. Yes I have tried them as mail order bulbs and live plants from the nursery and they haven't lived through the winter. I need to put them in pots and bring them in during the winter like you do because the blooms are just gorgeous.

LG, I am surprised that they cannot overwinter in 7a. Then I will not even try to make them overwinter outside. I'll keep doing what I am doing because they are growing really well. They overwinter in an enclosed porch without any heating and they occasionally freeze there. They can take full sun, but they also bloom a lot in semi-shade. I only make sure that they have light soil, like other terrestrial orchids. This year, I started spraying the leaves with orchid fertilizer. I am planning to get more of these; they also come in white and bluish-purple. Their lips may also have different multicolour patterns. Do they come in yellow or cream? I am not sure.
https://www.farmergracy.co.uk/...

Thanks for the info, Jasmin. My soil stays wet in winter, so they probably rotted.

AlexUnder said:

Not too shabby, we are moving in right direction. Another few years for yew to establish a hedge and pines to block the views of nearby houses...

Alex ~ What a beautiful garden!

Thank you , Evelyn. Unfortunately I could not spend time enjoying my peonies in the garden this spring. I was travelling for 4 months, which was rather tiring at the end. Going to visit next week and see how it is doing...

Welcome back Alex.