The Impending Fall

Summer is winding down, and on its coattails comes Fall.  The New York air has already started showing signs of cooling.  We’ve even had a few days recently that were downright autumnal.  I have to say that, however much I love the summer and the heat, Fall is going to be a welcome change of pace.  Classes started up a few weeks ago, and the new MA students have arrived on campus.  It truly is one of my favorite times of the school year.

I’ve sadly had to remove a few plants from my plant list.  The California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) were never very happy, and after letting them go dry for just a while too long, I decided it was no longer worth it to bring them back from the brink.  They were never going to flower, anyway.  The Brassavola cordata put out that new leaf, and then decided it was going to completely rot out at the rhizome.

I’ve been neglecting this blog something fierce lately, and for that I apologize.  I lost momentum (as I’m wont to do) and then classes started up.  At any rate, despite losing the two plants mentioned above, I’ve gotten a few exciting additions to the collection.  All orchids, too.  The September meeting of the Manhattan Orchid Society was a seedling potting party, so as part of that they gave everyone a free seedling to pot up.  I picked Maxillaria tenuifolia.  If you’re not familiar with this species, it’s famous for having flowers scented exactly like coconut.  In addition, I’ve gotten specimens of Bulbophyllum mirum, Laelia liliputana, Lockhartia schunkei, and Phalaenopsis parishii.  So far they all look to be doing well, though we’re not out of the woods yet.

Hopefully I can get around to taking a new set of pictures soon to show you the new additions as well as some good progress on a few of the plants you’ve seen already.  My Bulbophyllum grandiflorum bloomed again for me, which was very exciting.  I didn’t take pictures because, honestly, the flower looked a lot like the last one.  However, it’s thinking about putting out two new spikes.  I’m apparently doing something very right.

Apologies again on the hiatus, and I promise to return soon with more pictures.  Until next time, happy growing!

Post One: the Cotyledons

Welcome to the first (cotyledonous) post of The Phytophile!  It may be a gray and cold day here in New York City, with snow on the ground yet again, but inside my apartment it’s warm, bright, and green.  This winter has been particularly difficult, especially for people in the Midwest and those of us on the East Coast who have experienced a more precipitous winter than usual.  Needless to say, everyone here is eagerly awaiting Spring.

A few weeks ago I passed a plant store selling Paperwhite Narcissus (Narcissus papyraceus) bulbs for $1.50, so I impulsively bought two.  They have since flowered, producing the lovely, fragrant, white blossoms for a disappointingly short period.  Now I’m just waiting for them to go dormant again.  However, my mystery Phalaenopsis hybrid is in bloom.  I bought this plant in bloom back in ’03, and it hasn’t bloomed since.  I consider myself good at growing plants, but this particular one has eluded me until now.  I just moved to New York back in September, and I have a particularly drafty window in my apartment.  My theory is that, since my Phal. was near that window, it finally got the autumn cool-down that it needed to flower.  The inflorescence was a sad two-bud deal, one of which blasted before opening.  So now I have a single, lone flower to cheer me through the rest of winter (or until it decides it’s done blooming).  While I feel like this is poor compensation for the nearly eight years of attention I’ve given this orchid, I’m still thankful for the bit of color.  I’ll see if I can get a picture soon.

That’s all for now.  Until next time, happy growing!