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!

Maximize your Lighting

Well Its that time of year when even those of us who are are not lighting experts will be dragging out the christmas lights to join in the neighborhood tradition.   I recently hung an unused chandelier in my orchid tree to give some interest when we are dining at the  dining room table.  The low lights really set off the chandelier and the  green apples that hang from it.  Then I decided to hang some glass 12" vertical 'things' under the tree as well.  They were that strange purchase from years ago.  You know the kind where you tell yourself I 'll figure something to do with them 'in the future.'  Well, I found something to do with them and with low lighting,  I am getting some nice reflection out the them.  Its  exactly what I was looking for...and everything is better when the orchids and flowers are blooming on the tree.  The Phalenopsis plants are putting off their shoots and very soon there will be nice color in the tree to go along with the sparkle of everything else!  With lighting and some props, a simple view can be greatly enhanced.

Now I really do need to get to the Christmas lights.  How about you?  Do you still decorate your outdoors?  We do, but not to the degree we used to, thankfully!

Have a great holiday season.  Whatever it is you celebrate, we celebrate along with you!
Happy New Year!

Mystery of Orchids Revealed!

Not only is Costco a leader in orchid sales here in the SW Florida area, I would say they are among the 1st to really hit on a remedy to what kills orchids faster than anything.  We are talking about overwatering!

The buzz is that the Costco orchids now come with a mini 'cup' of sorts, which is the perfect amount of water the plant needs to thrive for a week.  Excuse me,  I thought it couldn't get any easier than
"put 3 ice cubes on the plant once/week."  Apparently, there needed  to be an (another) easier way.   I water all of my orchids once every 2 weeks unless when I put my finger in the pot, it comes out wet.  Sometimes, moss will still be wet after 2 weeks.  That is why when I replant I use bark not moss.  Its much more predictable.

Speaking of replanting, I have been at it recently.  Many people are intimidated by separating the plants and repotting.  In my experiences, orchids are very forgiving.  I cut out all of the thin wiry roots and make room for the roots that are plump & supple. Also important in the process, I soak the bark for a day before I replant the orchid.  It retains water so much better.  If you don't presoak, the first few waterings just run through the medium and you will need to water more frequently.  I also wet the  roots just to plump them up a bit before they go into the new pot.  I usually repot in plastic pots since I like to bring blooming orchids inside and put them in arrangements in large pots.  Some people will only use terra-cotta since it dries out so well.  Both pots have performed well for me but I do not want the bulk of the terra-cotta. Pot size is also important.  It is frustrating when I have moved the orchid up a pot size (perhaps too early) and it takes longer for the bloom cycle to begin.  I suppose the roots are getting comfy in their new digs.   Lastly, hold off on the temptation to fertilize right a way for the same reason, the roots are just finding their way. Let them relax at least until the next watering. If your orchids have just bloomed, its an ideal time to repot.

That is my process.  To those of you who toss the plant once the blooms are gone, (who are surprisingly many) its a little more work, but sometimes its nice to get your hands dirty!

So hats off to Costco.  Quite possibly, now EVERYONE can manage to make their orchids live and thrive!

This is what s going on!

Hi,

Happy summer to all of you!

Summer is officially half over and I, like many of you are wondering where it went so quickly!   I am happy to report at the gift shows so far, most of the antlers of the last many years are finally waning, thankfully.  Hope none of you hopped too heavily, on that bandwagon!   Burlap is everywhere.  I love texture so this is a great look to me.  It was in tablecloths,  patterned in pottery dishes, pots,  even in hair clips and jewelry.  Yikes.  So if you like this textured look, go for it.   Grey/Grieg the new 'it' color, was everywhere.  Greige is a grey with some beige, no surprise there.  The tone is much warmer and color really pops with it as the background.  If you are curious, because you have a project coming up, check it out on pinterest.

Decorative Boxes

Of course Botanistix had to jump on the Greige bandwagon.  Ours is in a greige mirrored decorative box.  The box's shape is outlined in a shiny silver chain which is a nice contrast.  On top we have a piece of agate in variable colors and shapes.  Thankfully, the top is not removable. It is attached, which is so much nicer.

And we  still love the canary yellow box. Color just pops off this one too.  They both offer a modern, sophisticated look to a traditional piece. We are not trying to change the world, just update it a little.    Options are available for the minerals on the top.

Minis

We are now selling Botanistix™ Minis.  They are about 13" long.  Three themed minis are now on the website.  They are fun 'girlfriend' gifts.  Stilettos, Martinis and the ultimate welcome symbol, the Pineapple.  I have had requests for themes for some time now and decided summer was the time to pop them out.  The mini pineapple is perfect for a new neighbor in a plant or flower arrangement.   Botanistix™ have really become 'the' new accessory for flower arrangements.  I think it started when we needed our cell phones to be all 'bling-y' and of course, it has escalated from there!  Its official, everything needs a lil bit of tasteful sparkle.  Botanistix™ Home Decor is only too happy to help with that. Enjoy the rest of your Summer.      Botanistix™  is only a click away!   Christi

Italian Fall and Orchid's Care

Hi,
Happy Fall to you!
Italy was wonderful.  Rome was bustling and enjoyable as any major city but the jewel was our Umbrian home.  We toured daily and returned to our home late afternoon to enjoy the day's most recent wine purchases on the beautiful patio overlooking the hills of Umbria.  Whats not to love?   I think vacations out of our wonderful country really increase the appreciation of everything American upon the return.  There is nothing like coming home and our country,  even with all of its challenges, is very special.

I have been hearing from alot of you about the state of your orchids and what to do with them.
Those in the North have brought the orchids inside for sure now.  When I was in NJ, I let mine winter on cookie sheets with pebbles thinly spread out and the pots on top of the pebbles with water beneath to create moisture.  This became most important from Jan through March.  Of course, checking for white fly and other bugs is a continual thing up North in the winter.  Hopefully, the Phalenopsis have set their buds by the cool weather you have already experienced..whether you left them outside or left  a window nearby open for them- they need that cool, even here in Florida to set the bud to eventually bloom.  You should be enjoying a late winter's bloom if it all went as planned- don't be afraid to use a little bloom booster. However, your fertilizer schedule is much less than what is below for those in Florida.

Those of us here in Florida are quite spoiled when it comes to our preparation to get the orchids to bloom.  They have spent the entire summer outside enjoying the humidity and frequent downpours nature had to offer.  Now that we have cooled off, our Phalenopsis are setting their blooms and I am starting their bloom booster, 1/2 strength,  3-4 x month.  Sounds like alot, but really all of the care I give them,  is this time of year and if I miss a week, its not as though they are not going to bloom.  If I did nothing, they would just bloom later in the season.
I am treating the orchids I attached to my palm trees(by panty hose) as well.  I cup my hands under the roots and try to moisten them.  Most of them have attached themselves to the trees after our wet summer.  Attached to the tree or in a pot, they all like  a little libation to make them become something special.

While I was fertilizing this weekend, I came upon a very long, thin, textured thing behind some shrubs.  I quickly decided it was a snakeskin!  My husband has repeatedly offered to have me take a look the ones  he finds in the garden...no thanks.   Apparently,  they like to find a tight, shrubbish area so they can disrobe, so to speak, and move on.  Creepy!   That is the one advantage I can find to living in a high rise- no snakes!

"A weed is merely a plant whose virtues have yet to be discovered"  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Until next time...Christi