Blogging in Myrtle Glen

It’s about time for another Orchid post

Here is my favorite orchid, the Dendrobium cuculatum (Den. aphyllum), a 4 ft (1.2 m) long  flower spring shower!

I bought this orchid as a small keiki at an orchid show about 12 years ago and ever since I love it! 

It looks beautiful throughout the year. In summer the long branches are covered in green leaves, arranged in an orderly fashion

In fall, the foliage turns a golden yellow before the leaves drop to show the silvery long branches. Hubby calls it ‘the witch’s hairdo’

Yes, this orchid goes deciduous, and before the leaves flush out again in spring, this orchid shows off its flower shower.

This orchid is not just beautiful all year round, but also very easy to grow, suited well for Central Florida.

I keep mine under a Crepe Myrtle Tree so the orchid is in shade during the summer, and in the winter months it is in full sun. This Dendrobium loves the wet and humid summer months, and wants to be kept dry and cool during winter. 

I fertilize during summer, but completely ignore it as soon as the leaves turn yellow. When I notice the flower buds in spring, I start watering again and as soon as the leaves appear I start feeding with orchid fertilizer.

hundreds of flowers

Here is another plant I love, the Passiflora. I grow several varieties of Passion vines, I love their stunning flowers and the butterflies love them as host plants for the caterpillars.

Here is a tiny jewel, the Passiflora biflora:

Passionflowers come in all sizes, this one is small, so a closer look is necessary to appreciate its beauty.
shiny white, sunny yellow and neon green, doesn’t this flower look delicious?

This particular passion vine is easy to grow in the yard or in a pot on the window sill. It flowers freely, even on small and young plants.

Canna 'Pacific Beauty'

‎”Flowers are those little colorful beacons of the sun from which we get sunshine when dark, somber skies blanket our thoughts.”

[Dodinsky]