Orchid Cacti 2011 – Early Blooms
29 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in 1. Cactus and Succulent Tags: 2011, Early bloomers, Orchid Cacti
Firstly, greeting from another green Katydid in our garden…….. Few days ago, I found this one among the foliage of the Michelia yunnanensis while last year I saw some in the bushy leaves of the red Camellia which was not very far along the driveway. It seems that quite a few bugs love the Michelia bush, I also spotted some black and red stink bugs before.
Two of our orchid cactus (jungle cactus) collection, the early bloomers are flowering now. The yellow one is still a mystery. When I bought it last year the label was Gold Coin, but the flowers are definitely are not that of gold coin. Some one suggested that it could be E. floribundum x , but E. floribundum is more white in colour. The one that we have is yellower, it is more like Fruhlingsgold. This yellow orchid cactus has sweet delicate smell.
The other early bloomer orchid cactus is Disocactus nelsonii which is also known as Chiapasia/Chiapsis nelsonii. This one has luminous mauve colour. Very pretty colour and bloom prolifically.
Fruhlingsgold??? Yellow Orchid Cactus - unknown sp
Disocactus nelsonii - Chiapasia nelsonii - Epiphyllum nelsonii
The rest of the jungle orchid cactus flowers are still in buds right now. Hopefully they will be better this year. Oh yes, a little note on the AFL grand Final 2011 this weekend. Collingwood Magpies against Geelong Cats! Hopefully Collingwood will make it. Go Magpies Go!!!
Orchids – More Flowers
19 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in 3. Orchids Tags: 2011, Orchid Collection
After a long wait, more of the Cymbidium orchids are in full bloom. The Australian native ‘Dendrobium’ is also doing very well this year. The ‘green turns into yellow’ Cymbidium Flowers are more yellow this time. I still don’t understand why the colour can change.
Unknown Variety
Vogelsang ‘Eastbourne’ x 'So Bold & Bountiful’
Sarah Jean 'Ice Cascade'
- Australian Native Dendrobium
Unknown Cymbidium - smaller flowers
Genista racemosa – Root Damage
19 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in 4. Seasonal Garden Notes Tags: 2011, Genista racemosa, Root Damage
Struggling and No Flowers
The old Genista racemosa near the letter box is not flowering this spring, while the other two young ones that we have are in full bloom. I planted the other two from the seedlings that grew from the first.
Sometime earlier this year, I noticed that the old Genista near the letter box was growing leaning toward the driveway. I told F (my husband) to replace the wooden stake that obviously did not do the job anymore. Anyway, I did not see it when he was replacing the stake. I was actually a little bit upset when I saw the quite large wooden stake. It was not round and he did not sharpen the part of the stake that was inserted into the ground. As a result, some of the roots were likely damaged when he forced it down, much too close to the base of the trunk, with a large mallet. When the plant was pulled forcefully to stand straight, there was also a big chance for more roots to get damaged.
No use to complain too much, the damage was done. Since then, that Genista plant that was just recovered from the caterpillars investation almost 2 years ago, was really struggling all over again. The frequent heavy rains during the autumn and winter make it even worse. Many small branches were dried and they lost a lot of leaves. I can see the base of the trunk near the roots kind of black. It is not dead completely now and new leaf buds have started to grow back this spring, but there are no flowers. Hopefully, it will flower again the next season.
The other two young plants that we have are growing healthy and flowering nicely. I know that Genista racemosa hates to have its roots disturbed.
These are the other two young Genista racemosas that are flowering now:
Link to go to the last post on Genista racemosa: http://kiyanti2008.wordpress.com/2010/10/01/genista-racemosa-follow-up/
October 10,2011:
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I noticed that the struggling Genista near the letter box started to develop flower buds!!!!
Stunted, but they are flowers. It proves how tough this plant is. Most of the flowers are still in buds now, I will post some pictures when they have fully opened. The canopy still looks scraggly….. but hopefully with a drink of seaweed tea, it will grow thick and green like before.
Cymbidium Orchids – August 2011
24 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in 3. Orchids Tags: 2011, Cymbidium Orchids, Flowering in August
I bought three Cymbidium orchids recently: My Sweet ‘Amy’; Sleepy Sarah ‘Lovely’ x Ruby Eyes ‘Tetra Baron’ and a Cymbidium pumila x of unknown hybrid (small flowers). All of them are flowering. As with my old collections only one is blooming, and the other flower buds have not opened yet. Just like last year, Cymbidium ‘Claude Pepper’ x ‘Sensation’ is flowering early, while the white Sarah Jean ‘Ice Cascade’ is coming late and it is still in buds now.
The flowers of the other three different species of Cymbidium orchids are still in buds. One of them is the one that I bought in the market and I don’t know the name. It is the one that open in green colour first and gradually will turn into yellow. I divided it into three and last year they did not flower at all. However, this year they have managed to flower quite well. Two of them have each three spikes and one has two spikes. The next one, Vogelsang ‘Eastbourne’ x So Bold ’Bountiful’ is having four spikes. The last one is having three spikes. It is another Cymbidium pumilum of unknown hybrid - soft greenish yellow in colour.
Cymbidium 'Claude Pepper' x 'Sensation' (7 spikes). Dark maroon colour.
Cymbidium pumilum x. Unknown hybrid, smaller flower variety, pinkish bronze.
Cymbidium My Sweet 'Amy'
Cymbidium Sleepy Sarah 'Lovely' x Ruby Eyes 'Tetra Baron'
Many people say that collecting orchid plants is very addictive. They say if some one has 20 orchid plants or more, this person is beginning to get addicted. I still have less than 2o orchids though, so I don’t think that I am an orchid addict yet 
Garden – Winter 2011
01 Jul 2011 Comments Off
in 4. Seasonal Garden Notes Tags: 2011, Problem with Genista racemosa, Rotting roots., Winter Garden
Today is sunny and beautiful, will reach around 17 deg C. It has been dry for a while lately and it is very good for the Genista racemosa that is having a problem of rotting roots. I can see a part of the base of the trunk is black and many little branches are dry while it loses many of it’s tiny foliage. Yes, the poor thing is sulking and sad right now! Hopefully, it will recover with dryer soil. Fingers cross. It is not dead completely but I think it is really in stress and struggling. To many rain falls lately during the Autumn were not so good for Genista racemosa. The other small one that I have that grows under the eaves along the driveway is allright and it is very green.
The winter flowering plants like Grampians Heath Myrtle (Thryptomene calycina) and Crassulas are in full bloom. Some of the Zygocacti are are still blooming. This year our Cymbidium orhids are doing very well as they are all having many flower spikes. Oh, it is so very exciting and cannot wait to see them blooming in Spring. The ‘green turn to yellow’ orchids that I divided last year are also having spikes.
I have finished pruning the roses and many other plants. The weeding is done also and our green waste bin is absolutely full over the brim. Soon towards the end of the winter will be the time for repotting the bonsai trees.
“Did you ever think how a bit of land shows the character of the owner?” – Laura Ingalls Wilder
Blooming Zygo Cacti – 2011
29 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in 1. Cactus and Succulent Tags: 2011, Schlumbergera truncata, Zygocactus
We have been having strange weather lately. For the last few weeks the sun hardly ever shined at all and today is very much the same. It seemed that the days were short and dark, and it is a very good condition for Zygo cactus (Schlumbergera truncata, Christmas Cactus) to grow more flowers. Yes, it is said that in order to bloom better, zygos need longer darkness before the flower buds start to grow in Autumn.
I noticed that the sudden chills lately changed the colour of our white zygo (and other light colours). Although the flower buds haven’t opened yet, I can see that they will have a slightly pinkish tint to the normally white colour. I will take more pictures when the flowers open.
Even though this year all the zygos produce much more flower buds compared to last year, the lack of sunshine makes them very slow to open and once they open they will wilt quickly.
As a member of jungle cactus, zygo cactus need to be trimmed by breaking the segments. Do this after finish flowering. This way it will encourage the plant to grow more stems. With more stems, the plant will grow bushy and will bear more flowers as each flower grows from the tip. The cuttings can be planted by sticking them (bottom part down) in potting mix in a pot. You will see that the next year you will have more new plants to share with family and friends.
Once I read that zygo cacti can grow for a long time and it can be passed down from generation to generation. If you love potted plants, zygo cacti are very easy to grow and will look very good in hanging pots. They will need well drain potting media ( I use half regular potting mix and half orchid mix). Slow released complete fertilizer can be added during the growing season in Spring. The best location for places with moderate climate is a shady spot, while in very cold climate can be grown as indoor plant. When the plants are not in growing season, water only when the soil is dry.
To go to previous entry on Zygo Cactus: http://kiyanti2008.wordpress.com/2010/05/26/our-blooming-zygos/
Garden – Late Autumn 2011
21 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in 4. Seasonal Garden Notes Tags: 2011, Autumn, Late August, My garden
Today, the 21st of May, is sunny and bright. What a big relief after many dark and cold days in the last few weeks.
The surprisingly less cold wind is blowing the autumn leaves to the ground. They are everywhere on the lawn and on the drive-way. Some autumn flowers are still there to enjoy and the remaining chrysanthemum flowers are still fresh and pretty. In the back yard, the brightly coloured Hemizigya ‘Candy Kisses’ is showing off it’s tiny mauve flowers.
I have to prune the roses very soon (I haven’t done it until now), though some of them are still flowering. The scarethecat plants (Coleus canina) are trailing everywhere with their erect purple flowers. Another good trimming is what they need. I did it some time ago, but the recent heavy rains have made them grow back again. The dwarf lantana mature flowers have turned all red. They had multi colours, red, yellow and pink before. Our Fuchsia ‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’ is blooming profusely and the crassulas are fully covered with flower buds. In the winter time, tiny whitish flowers of Crassulas will open to brighten up the cold days. I am surprised to see the Hibiscus still have many flowers in this exceptionally cold autumn that we have this year.
Some potted plants also have flowers like the dwarf flamingo flowers (anthurium) while the zhygo cactus will be in full bloom very soon. Some of the orchids have started to show many flower spikes. Hopefully the recent chills will make the Cymbidiums flower well this year.
Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all ( Stanley Horowitz)
To go to the previous seasonal notes on My Garden :
https://kiyanti2008.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/garden-mid-february-2011/
Garden – Mid February 2011
17 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment
in 4. Seasonal Garden Notes Tags: 2011, Mid February, My garden, Notes and Images
It is the last month of summer here in Melbourne, and the garden is teeming with life. I can hear the noisy chit chats of colourful wild lorikeets. Now and then the spotted turtle doves make coo cooing sounds. Crows are quacking loudly somewhere.
Yesterday, I was busy trimming the plants along the footpath. I noticed many insects flying around. I took my camera and tried to capture some photos of butterflies and dragonflies. It was easier with the butterflies, but I could not take any picture of the dragonflies. They just flew around and hardly stopped. I saw one was sitting on the leaf of Alisma plantago but it was too timid and flew off when I came near. Too bad… it was a nice red one. Many bees were also busy up and down flying from one flower to another.
The scarethecat plant (Coleus canina) was trailing out of control, so I trimmed it quite hard. It still had many flowers and I saw a beautiful spotty butterfly fluttering and quivering, kind of hovering on the purple blue flowers. I took five shots but only one was good. I wondered why this butterfly hardly sat still.
The excess of rains this summer has made plants grow greener and luscious. Hibiscus, lantana, hebe, justicia, geranium, gardenia and of course my husband’s sunflower are all blooming. The roses still have few blooms and still have problems with black spots. I plan to prune them and give them special fungicide spray. 
It is really beautiful right now and the sky is blue with patchy white clouds. It seems that more rains will fall again tonight or probably tomorrow.
I plan to do weeding this afternoon. Yes, the rains have also made weeds grow everywhere in the garden beds. I hate those long trailing grass!!
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Water Garden:
This year the pink water lily in the fish tub near the front door have refused to flower. All the buds were prematurely wilted away. I am not sure why, but the light yellow one in the tub near the back door has many beautiful flowers. The gold fish are happy and we have quite e few of babies. People told me to take the goldfish eggs away from the parents and keep them separate. This way, there will be more gold fish fries will hatch as adult goldfish tend to eat their own eggs and also the fries. But we don’t really want too many baby fish as we don’t have place to keep them. So we decided to let nature deals with the situation. However, we still have more than 10 gold fish safe from being eaten and they are growing bggger and bigger every day. I kept them separate in the old plastic tub.
”… The best way to garden is to put on a wide-brimmed straw hat and some old clothes. And with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other and tell someone else where to dig.” (Texas Bix Bender).
Happy Gardening!!
Link to previous seasonal notes about my garden:
http://kiyanti2008.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/garden-early-summer-2010/
