Signs of Spring

It has been a cold, dreary beginning of April, and the weather report suggests that there is no relief in sight.  But cold or not, snow or not, nature is giving tiny glimpses of what is to come.

Iris reticulata cultivar

Another Iris reticulata

Crocuses

Of course, my houseplants can usually be counted on to help chase away the "where the heck is spring already?" blues. Below are a few plants in bloom that make a cheery contrast with the grayness outdoors.

Phalaenopsis Bella TN324 (That's what the tag says)

Columnea variety

Ludisia discolor in bloom, along with the Phalaenopsis from the photo above

Hoya carnosa inflorescence

Hippeastrum 'Red Lion' with a NoId Hippeastrum on the left

Anthurium NoId

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

So where the heck is spring already?

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, January 2011

Once again, I am joining the garden blogging community in celebrating Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. I'm pleasantly surprised to have several plants blooming this week. First of all, I'm thrilled that at least two of my Hibiscus rosa-sinensis plants have bounced back sufficiently from their white-fly infestations to grace me with flowers. (If this is their swan song before their insect-induced demise, I don't want to know about it.)

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis with a peach-colored double flower

Another tropical Hibiscus, this one a single-flowered yellow

Also in flower are the two NoID Phalaenopsis which surprised me by putting out new buds on old stalks, which I originally wrote about on November 27.

Yellow NoId Phalaenopsis, which has been in bloom since November

Two views of a multicolored NoId Phalaenopsis flower, which just opened this week. When clicked for a larger view, the second pic really shows off the sparkly petals.

Hippeastrum 'Lilian' is blooming for the third time. You can see the remains of the second flowering on the left. I must get around to cutting that off.

Besides the Mystery Echeveria which I wrote about in my most recent post, the only succulent currently in bloom is this Euphorbia milii:

Euphorbia milii, also known as Crown-of-Thorns. There are two different plants in this pot. The multicolored yellow flowers belong to the plant with the longer, paler leaves; the pink/peach flowers belong to the plant with the darker, more oval leaves.

Apparently, the color theme for January is yellow, peach and pink. Nice, cheery colors for a not-so-nice, dreary month.

Taking a Break: December 17-30

If you are a regular visitor to Life Among the Leaves, you have probably noticed that my posts have been sporadic lately. I haven't lost interest in plants (that would be the day!) or blogging, but I've been finding it difficult to come up with interesting things to write about. Since I'm the self-conscious type, this lapse of the imagination has come with more than a little anxiety. "Oh my! Oh dear! Oh no! I haven't posted in a week! Must find something--anything-- to write about!" And everyone knows, what the Holiday Season doesn't need is extra anxiety.

So rather than not posting, and wringing my hands over it, I am giving myself permission to take a little break. I want to thank everyone who does read LATL on a regular basis, or even just every now and then. It really means a lot to me.

So I'll be back posting in two weeks. In the meantime here are some photos of what's blooming, or getting ready to bloom, today:

Recently purchased Schlumbergera

Hippeastrum 'Lilian' put up a second bloom stalk. There are six flowers this time!

The new branch on my NoId Phalaenopsis, which I posted about on November 27, is indeed producing flower buds.

And yes, I did put the long suffering Hippeastrum 'Nilona' in a proper pot.

Wishing the joy and happiness of the season to everyone who celebrates a holiday this time of year. Wishing joy and happiness and peace on earth to everyone, no matter what.

See you on the 30th!

Sometimes, Laziness Pays Off

Last year, I bought two unidentified Phalaenopsis orchids on clearance. One had yellow flowers, the other had flowers in a multicolored pink/peach pattern. The flowers lasted for months, and after the show was over, I left the flower stalks on the plant. This wasn't because I was hoping that they'd bloom again on those stalks, as I've never had that happen with any of the Phals I've owned previously. I just didn't get around to it. I figured I'd cut them off once they started to turn brown. But that never happened; they stayed firm and green, and did nothing, until recently, when one did this:

NoId Phalaenopsis blooming on old flower stalk. I never even removed the old stake.

Flower and bud up close

And the other one did this:

New branch on old flower stalk

Closer view of the new branch, with what I hope are new flower buds. Again, I had never bothered to remove the old support.

Orchids are still a bit of a mystery to me. I pamper them, and they die. I ignore them, and they surprise me with flowers and growth.