More Pocket Love

Six weks ago I showed the few flowers which had been produced on last years growth. Now this years mature growth is showing what a Dendrobium hybrid Pocket Love orchid can really look like when in flower.





Only just viewable in the first photo - on the left hand side of the plant - there are two new growths which, with good luck, should both produce flowers.

Oncidium croesus Orchid

I knew I obtained this miniature orchid some time ago but was surprised to find it was bought five years ago. It has taken until this year for it to finally produce some flowers. As I appear to have found the right conditions for growth it should now flower every year.





This orchid is a native species to Brazil, growing at elevations of 400 to 600 metres above sea level.

Pocket Love

It is all much of a muchness hereabouts at the moment but one new flower is catching my eye. One of my small orchid plants is showing flowers, on last years growth! The plant is a Dendrobium hybrid - Pocket Love:





It is also forming lots of flower buds on the new growth which should give a lovely display in a month or so.

Ready for Winter

It was time to think about some protection from low temperatures for some of my plants. I have had this heated propagator for some time but it spend over a year unused in the greenhouse. Time to bring it back in the unheated conservatory.



Now set up with my home made thermostatically controlled unit. Basically that is a bit of bought electronics which can be programmed with a start (low) temperature and an end (hight) temperature. That operates a solid state relay which is designed to safely use a low voltage (12V) to switch a couple of mains voltage sockets. As it is now it switches on the heating element in the propagator when the temperature drops to 10C and off again when it reaches 12C.

A few small and miniature orchid plants with some succulents occupy it at the moment.



The orchid plant top left spent the Summer outdoors and has started to produced a flower spike for the first time in a couple of years.

Light Stacking

In the past I have taken macro photos using a technique called focus stacking where several shots are taken at different focus points. Those are added together in a focus stacking program. This time I though I would try something a bit different.

Orchid flowers on a window sill indoors taken while mainly lit from the back with daylight through the window:



The same set up but with added flash lighting from the camera:



The result when they are added together in Helicon Focus then tweaked a little in Affinity Photo:



Light Stacking? That's what I call it anyway. Photos taken with a Canon G5X, tripod mounted.

Cymbidium Time

A bit disappointing that only one of my Cymbidium orchid plants has produced a spike of flowers this year.
At least I have half a dozen large blooms on that plant.

Tolumnia Hybrid Orchid

It has been over three months since the buds appeared and finally the first one has opened.

24 focus stacked photos processed in two different programs.
Canon 50D with 70-200mm zoom set at 70mm + Raynox R-250 macro lens + ring LED light.
The flowers are quite small at about 3/4 inch (15mm) across.

Zerene Stacker:



Using the built in Focus Merge in Affinity Photo:



Zerene has more advanced facilities but the Affinity process produced an excellent result.

Wordless Wednesday

Cymbidium Orchid

Nearly There

The first flowers have started opening on my largest Cymbidium plant:



I used to think the blobs of sticky sap were caused by insect attack but after some research I was reassured that these are produced naturally by the plant.

Orchids

The mid size Cymbidium plant has been in flower for about four weeks and seems to have reached its best colouring:



Another of the Oncidium Twinkle miniatures is also starting to flower.
These blooms are about 10mm at their widest:



The buds on the larger Cymbidium plants are still developing.
All being well some should open about the middle of next month.

Orchids

The medium size Cymbidium plant is nearly in full flower now:



Inside the new propagator an Oncidium twinkle is blooming:



That Oncidium is a miniature.
Here are both together for comparison:



There are two other miniatures producing buds at this time so more to look forward to along with the two large Cymbidium plants.

Next to Open

The blooms on my mid size Cymbidium are now opening:





Colour may deepen a bit when they are fully open.

Miniature Cymbidium

The single flower on the miniature Cymbidium is finally opening:

Orchids

One week's growth on the Cymbidiums.
Last week on the left. Yesterday on the right:



Doing well even with night temperatures down to 9.5C

A quick peek looking down in the new heated propagator:





Looking closely at the second photo you can see two of the miniature orchids in spike.
Should be flowering in the not too distant future.

Spring Bloomers

No, not a new batch of underwear. Just looking forward as all the Cymbidium orchid plants I repotted some time ago are now producing spikes. At the speed they grow it will probably be Spring before some blooms open.

First a miniature Cymbidium which I have had only a few months has one bud soon to open:
 

It, along with my other miniature orchids, reside in a new propagator.
More about that another day.

My four large Cymbidium plants in spike:

This is the one I showed near the end of last year when I expected to see it flower in the new year:
 

This one with a spike which looks as though it will have several flowers:


One plant has two spikes:


Finally one which has just started producing a spike.
Hard to spot it is horizontal near the centre of the photo:


What I am looking forward to. A photo I took last year:

Miniature Orchid

In flower at the moment:

Wordless Wednesday

Phalaenopsis

Cymbidium

Cymbidium Orchid Number Two

It is about four weeks since the first Cymbidium orchid opened its flowers.
They are still in full bloom with no sign of fading as yet:



They have now being joined by the first of the flowers to open on the larger plant:



As it has just started opening I expect the colour will improve a bit over the following week.

Nearly in May and the BBC weather forecast for this area for Tuesday to Thursday threatens locally heavy Wintry showers! As it covers all the East Midlands I expect (hope) that will apply more to the higher ground in the Derbyshire Peak District but best to be prepared, just in case. It was only yesterday I put away my snow shovel until next Winter.

An amusing sight I wish I could have photographed last week. A Wood pigeon flew across the garden hotly pursued by a House Sparrow which was only six inches behind the pigeon.  I wish they would do that more often.

This and That

Quite a few of the local birds are visiting the feeders in pairs. Robins, Dunnocks, Blackbirds and Chaffinches all tend to arrive as a couple. Among the Robins is one which spends a lot of time watching me as I potter round the garden or in the greenhouse:



From time to time bursting into song:



I've also noticed lots of birds gathering nesting material, Robin, House Sparrow, Blackbird and Starling being among them.

I think my first Cymbidium orchid is now in full bloom:



Now waiting for the larger one. Always a long waiting game as they seem to be very slow to grow and mature but make up for it by staying in flower for many weeks. A new miniature one arrived today so I potted it on and gave it a good soak and feed. This one is near flowering size so I am hoping to see it bloom next year.

Now There are Two

This is the progress on the first Cymbidium orchid to show a flower spike. Looks as though it will lose one bloom but the remaining five seem to be progressing nicely:



Joy on joy - I spied a flower spike on one of my larger Cymbidium plants:



Looks as though last Spring's dividing and re-potting is showing results.