Orchid blooms for the new year

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone is looking forward to 2009.

I’m looking forward to a fresh start. I didn’t make any resolutions other than to hopefully be healthier this year and well … I just have to hope for my Crohn’s to settle for that to happen.

I don’t really have any gardening news … not when it’s freezing cold here and the garden beds are covered in at least a few inches of snow.

My indoor plants are doing well though. One of my Orchids is blooming for the first time in about three years. It has one bloom so far and several other buds, so it looks like I’ll have Orchids blooming all month. The bloom is white.. Somehow I don’t remember it being white in the past. Odd! My other Orchid plant has developed a stem and has a few buds on it, so it will be blooming shortly as well.

I rescued my three Amaryllis from the basement yesterday. I’d forgotten about them! I brought them inside in early November when it started to get cold. I usually keep them outside on the enclosed from porch during the summer. It faces north so they don’t get a lot of bright light, but it’s enough to power them up for winter blooms.

They had survived their stay in the dark basement and were starting to sprout pale green leaves. Now they are on the kitchen table (near south facing window) and hopefully they’ll produce some blooms in February or March.

I love Amaryllis blooms. It’s a pity they only last about a week or so. Hopefully my three plants will stagger their blooms a bit and I’ll get a month of blooms.

How are your gardens and houseplants doing? Any blooms? Any new plans for the garden this year?

Wishing you a Happy New year, health and happiness (and a green thumb) in 2009! Thank you for being loyal readers!