On The I.D. Trail ... The Year In Photographs ... February 12, 2013

I received a few pass-along Orchid plants just a couple of years back.  The lovely old lady who gave them to me couldn't give me a name to match, so I've had to do a bit of research.  I've posted photos and a request for an ID on several sites, and there seems to be a consensus of opinion on at least of them.   It seems I'm in the possession of a Brassocattleya (Bc) Maikai hybrid.

It started blooming late last week,

and has faded to this lovely very pale purple.

Then just yesterday, another of the pass-along Orchids opened up for the first time.  It certainly looks similar although it's slightly darker in colour and has a slightly different shaped bloom.  Could it also be a Brassocattleya hybrid?

Look To The Sky ... The Year In Photographs ... February 10, 2013

While wandering out around the property this afternoon, I noticed a massive vapour trail streaking across the blue sky.  It lasted up there for ages.

Supposedly, a long-lasting vapour trail is an early indicator of a storm.  Maybe there will be a little thunder, and possibly rain this evening.

Newbies ... The Year In Photographs ... February 8, 2013

I went to the nursery today, just to purchase some seed starting mix. That's all that was on my list, I promise, but as I walked in through the gates, I heard the siren song of some Gingers on display just inside.  I just couldn't resist taking a couple home.

Let me introduce my two new Gingers ...

Curcuma alismatifolia on the left, and Globba capicola on the right.  Aren't they lovely?

Flower Flaunt Friday ... On This Late Summer's Day.

The end of our summer is in sight now, and that brings a smile to my dial.  After the atrocious heat and humidity we experienced last week and some of the week before, this week has felt a little bit cooler.  The daytime temperatures only dropped back around the 30-31 deg C mark, but there has been a huge drop in humidity levels, and this has made the summer conditions far more comfortable.

Out in the garden blooms are a bit hard to find at the moment, especially in the courtyard and shadehouse gardens.  

One lovely Orchid has bloomed out in the shadehouse, but I'm still on the hunt for an I.D.  I think it may be
Brassocattleya (Bc.) Maikai 'Louise', which is a Brassavola (B.) nodosa X Cattleya (C.) bowringiana hybrid.  The jury is still out on this one though.

Most of the blooms can be found in the outdoor garden beds at this time of the year.  In the tiered garden beds in front of the shadehouse,

the Iris domestica,

the Hemerocallis 'Rue Madelaine',

the Mussaenda 'Calcutta Sunset',

and the pink and purple Lagerstroemia indica are blooming.

In the front-of-house garden bed,

there's a Mussaenda philippica 'Bangkok Rose' and Russelia making a nice colour combination.

In the driveway rock garden areas,

the Turnera ulmifolia

and Turnera subulata are on show.

So is the Thunbergia erecta 'Tru Blu'

and the pretty Polygala.


I'm joining Tootsie for Fertilizer Friday / Flaunt Your Flowers

Nix for Floral Friday Fotos

and Weekend Flowers