Orchids and Violets

These two orchids are in bloom in the light garden now.  The lady slipper is Phrag. Andean Fire and the other one is SL. Psyche 'China" l. cinnabariana x s. coccinea.  Its all Greek to me.    The Andean Fire seems a bit droopy.  Psyche is a vibrant orange with 3 blooms this time.

This is one of the African Violets in bloom.  I played with this one in my photo editors.  In Virtual Studio, I can correct the 'temperature' as I had neglected to change the white balance to florescent when shooting.  I also used the dodge and burn tools, as well as sharpening in photoshop.  Virtual Studio also has noise reduction and a few other good things.  Google the Optic Verve or Virtual Studio and do a free download, if you are interested.

Another of the violets in bloom.
All of the plants in the light garden survived my two week trip away from home.  Andy and Tara looked in on things.  Thanks.
In the garden today, I mowed the grass -- first mow of the year.  The crocus field did not get mown, of course.  The leaves need to harden off.  When the crocus leaves begin to brown, I can then mow the grass where they grow.  Andy topped up the pond a few days ago... the leak seems to be even slower, now.  I skimmed some of the plum tree dropped blooms off the pond.  I put the grass clippings around the strawberry plants and added some manure compost to them and to the rhubarb which is now about 2 feet high.  I cleaned up a few more perennials, dug out dandilions, moved one of the old clay pots that contains a lily and moved the rocks around a bit.    It was fun playing outside, as it was a beautiful sunny 12 degree day.

The Rock and Alpine Garden Club has its Spring Show and Sale  next weekend:

The annual Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Sp[ring Show for 2010 will be on Friday, March 26th and Saturday March 27th, at Cadboro Bay United Church, 2625 Arbutus Rd.  Show hours are from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m to 3:30 p.m on Saturday.  The members plant sale is from 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Speciality nurseries will sell plants during the entire show and seeds will be on sale throughout.  Afternoon teas will be available.  The show will feature door prizes and a silent auction.

This is an annual event for me, although I have not entered any plants in the show yet.  I like to go and see what people are growing and to purchase precious little plants.  The little Daphne, a tiny grey mounding plant, and a very nice polyanthus marginata from last year are thriving in the small rockery and in a pot.  Over the years I have managed to get a few very nice alpines growing.   Last year, we went away for a month in the hottest time of the year and some of my new purchases perished.  The ones I put into pots do not do as well as the ones that go directly into the rockery, or into very large pots.   I have 3 large pots that only need good fast draining soil and then I could have a few more alpines.   I will see what might be available, but should get the pots ready, now. 

This year, I should redo the woodland path and the woodland area itself, needs cleaning up.  The bluebells are just taking over everything.  They are nice, but so very invasive.  The garden is not too bad right now.  It helps to keep up to the weeds and any needed renovations.  The arabis, daffodils, hyaciths, polyanthus, hellebores, camillias and both magnolia shrubs are in bloom.   The moss garden is slowly growing. 

My light garden

I have spent most of the last 2 days cleaning up my light garden. I repotted violets, cleaned cactus, repotted the 2 begonias, cleaned the orchids and the trays. All the plants are watered and clean and tomorrow I will fertilize the ones that are going to survive the cleaning. I split one very tired violet into three. One looks to be fading fast. I really don't need 3 of the same. My light garden has 3 shelves and is 4 feet long by about 5.6 feet tall. This was my 'picker upper' gift to myself when I turned 50. Its a pleasure to own. In the morning, I turn on its lights and spray the few orchids, violets and the begonias with a light mist. This has become a ritual for the morning, like brushing my teeth.

The theme for the week at VFXY is 'something new". I hope the new little buds on the old orchid will be okay for the theme. I bought this orchid for the half price of $12 at the grocery store. This store puts their orchids from the flower shop on at half price when they loose their blooms. Its a good deal. I have two of them now that have re-bloomed and are in good healthy condition. They are not specialty orchids, just phalinopsis, but they look good, and bloom better than the fancy ass ones I have purchased at orchid shows. My violets are mostly minatures. I only have so much room and am now at full capacity. Air plants are really small and showy when in bloom. I have one that blooms and the other one just seems to be constantly green... no blooms. I have never had a cactus bloom for me yet. I guess I shall need to get a Christmas cactus, or treat the ones I have very badly so they think their life is at an end and they should go forth and propogate.

West Bay Marina, Light Gardening

Canon S3 IS, 1/1600 sec., F/5.0, focal length: 6.0mm, on Sept 25th, bright, sunny day. The West Bay Marina is home to the Victoria Harbor Ferries, to some fabulous house boats, as well as big yachts.

Blogger is very busy so I will load my other prepared photo later.

I cleaned up my light garden, fed and watered the plants. It took me 4 hours to do this. It looks better, for sure. I see that 3 of the dendrobiums have tiny buds, so they should appreciate the food.

A couple of days ago we drove to the Songees development and walked to the West Bay Marina to see the house boats. There was a big caravan meet in the camp site just above the Marina. Huge million dollar motorhomes. Its a different world down there in that little corner of town. We had lunch at the Fin and Gill (quite good) and walked back, past Spinnakers to our van, with waterfront all along the way. A lovely day.

I got a couple of okay photos. I am slowly getting more comfortable with my new camera. Love the long lens. On the same card I did a black and white and a sepia, also a vivid colors all in camera. The black and white is very nice. The sepia is not bad. I wonder if there is a way that I can make the sepia or black and white look like IR. Maybe in Photoshop. But that's for another day.