Tending to my Botanical Garden

Each year before the rainy season and after friends have given me their unwanted orchids,  I spend a back braking day, repotting and disassembling orchids from their pots and putting them on selected trees. The medium breaks down so quickly in our temperatures and rain and I prefer the bark to the  moss, so that is what I use to repot.   I also find fresh medium holds my botanistix stakes better if things are nice and tight inside the pot.  Its a long day (5 hours) but next season, the plants will reward me with beautiful blooms.

I take a good look at what bloomed on which tree and I look for telltale signs that this type of orchid was not happy on a certain tree.  For instance, last year during this process I had separated a large cattleya and attached them to different trees only to be disappointed that not one bloomed in the year.  They were in too much shade!  I lost a whole year on that mistake.   This year, they are on a tree that gets sun and its right outside of our bedroom, so I expect to be enjoying colorful cattleyas next blooming cycle.  I love to open the shutters in the morning to see my orchid blooms smiling at me!

WhenI started this process 9 years ago, I included bromeliads on the trees.  I like the look of the 2 together but I really do not add anymore now.  I pay attention to when the  mother plant needs to be removed, then the pups take over.

Our rainy season really has not begun yet. Collin came through last week and gave us some needed rain but now we are back to very dry conditions.  I attached my new orchids lower on the trees so they will get the water from the irrigation until God takes over watering.

This year I decided to try attaching 3 orchids to a potted tree we have at the front door entrance.  Its covered so I will have to water them. I will be so excited when they bloom since the front door is glass.  How pretty from inside. When I have the Botanistix Open House in Nov, I may have spikes!

I am so happy its done and yes I have big expectations for next season!  Here is a visual for you.

Ready to go onto the trees

As you can see, the pantyhose color is navy- so stylish! I cover my handiwork with moss.

Cattleyas in the sunny tree this time.

This will be my test.  Its at the front door and I will have to water them!

This was the view from the side yard this Spring.   Orchid Alley!

Whats really under the flower arrangements

Happy New Year!

I love flowers and I am assuming most of you do as well!  My foyer table always has a seasonal arrangement.  Sometimes its orchids with succulents, flowers or other plants.  I am obsessed with great containers, which for me makes or breaks the look.  How to make all the different sized pots work in a large container is the trick, right?  

Homes are staged, mannequins are staged (with pins) and so should our containers holding multi sized pots.  I  always have risers.  I use tops of detergent bottles, plastic food containers, you name it, beneath mine you never know what I will have.  Its crucial for height variation.  My second bugaboo is keeping the pots in the center straight, (vertical.)  I use packaging whether cardboard or hard kraft paper.  I am ok with the side pots having a slant to them because it looks more natural.  If you are using fresh flowers dropped in here & there,  the florist vials are great to just tuck in wherever you want them.  Just do not forget to check them every other day for a refill. 

 Christmas is great because it gives us a license to be very sparkly!  Those bulbs can hide a lot of your props.  In the top photo I have an orchid pot squeezed in the crystal vase with Stargazer Lilies in floral vials.  Below you can see I used large gold flower bulbs to hide my props then I used fresh off the tree moss.  How lucky we are here in SW Florida,  our moss is so beautiful and alive, nothing like the packaged moss.  I recently learned moss is part of the bromeliad family, which loves our tropical environment.

Finally,  I like to raise the container off the tabletop.  I especially love cake stands for this.

Its all about keeping it interesting for us, after all, we are the ones who will be walking by everyday, right?  Soon I will be incorporating my Valentines Day decor into something fun, then Easter & Spring as I am sure you will be too.    Enjoy!