{Our Cereus Oxypetalum Night Blooming Orchid Cactus}

On July 3 in the afternoon, it became evident that our Cereus Oxypetalum Night Blooming Orchid Cactus would open up that very night. Even though in HEAVY RAIN... Perfect for our 237th Independence Day celebration!

This photo I took shortly after midnight in the wee hours of July 4th.

I had moved the entire plant inside our gazebo...

Looks lacy against the Vintage Woodworks ginger bread.

You can tell it is pitch dark outside, I used the ceiling lights in our gazebo.

There were a total of 6 blooms and they are full of rain drops from the torrential rains.

I put the storage container for our cushions on top of the round table in order to place this plant with its trailing blossoms on it.

Again you can see the Vintage Woodworks ginger bread at the top.

Husband Pieter took this photo at 1:45 PM (13:45 o'clock) in the rain.

Can you imagine that in ten hours time they do bud like that?

This is their usual pedestal so their full length can trail down.

In winter they are on the work bench inside our green house.

Again, clad in rain drops and to the right you see our pond.

This photo is taken at midnight, with flash outside... 

It didn't look good so I decided to bring the entire pot inside.

You can see all 6 blooms here.

This photo is a good one, from outside but more close.

Again, now inside our gazebo, after I placed the pot on the storage container on top of the table.

Regardless of the rain, their fragrance was still like perfume in the still midnight air.

 This is a last picture, showing the two top blooms full of tears from heaven...

Hope you did enjoy them!

Related links:
Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) | My Youtube video from this night
{BONUS - Our Epiphyllum oxypetalum re-bloomed!} | previous post by me
{Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) Orchid Cactus} | previous post by me
{Epiphyllum oxypetalum buds opening in the evening} | previous post by me
{LOOK how our Epiphyllum oxypetalum buds in only 6 days till THE afternoon...} | previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

{BONUS - Our Epiphyllum oxypetalum re-bloomed!}

On August 27, we got a Garden-BONUS of one bloom on our Night Blooming Cereus Epiphyllum oxypetalum. So one more time I snapped some photos around midnight. Such an orchid cactus is so rewarding and giving! But it takes years before they ever bloom. Enjoy this beauty below: 

Midnight beauty and this single bloom was a huge one!

Enjoy my video below for seeing its progress.

Related link: {Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) Orchid Cactus} | previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

{Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) Orchid Cactus}

Finally on August 6, we got to see our: Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) Orchid Cactus in full bloom around midnight! It was worth it for staying around and making these photos of a flower so exotic and spectacular. Above all, its fragrance is heavenly! My husband Pieter also did get to see its flowers, later in the night when he woke up. Both of us are so glad we got to see this. Taking photos in the dark is not easy. I had a flashlight for pointing at the blossoms but I did shoot some images for sharing with you. Below this post you also find the link to YouTube where I put more photos as a video presentation.

Don't you think this flower is exotic looking?

The heavenly fragrance is out of this world...!

Below this post I also placed a link where you can order this plant.

A very nice view inside this huge flower.

And yes, it is a pure white one!

Here you can partly see three of those beauties.

Just wondering which insects will visit this flower during the night.

It is obvious that some have been inside as there is pollen spilled on the lower petals...

It was almost a pity for going to bed that night.. because in the morning the flowers are closed up again!

With my flashlight I aimed at the flowers and I had to squat down for capturing them...

Sideways and here you still see the pink outer petals.

Very nice detail of the center of this Orchid Cactus.

All FIVE of them...

So what do you think of this exotic Orchid Cactus?

Too bad that it opens up around midnight and closes again by morning...

Related links:

Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) Orchid Cactus Full Bloom Around Midnight | My Photos on YouTube 

Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) | Logee's Plants for Home & Garden

{Epiphyllum oxypetalum buds opening in the evening} | previous post by me

{LOOK how our Epiphyllum oxypetalum buds in only 6 days till THE afternoon...} | previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

{Epiphyllum oxypetalum buds opening in the evening}

As promised yesterday, here is the sequel of our Epiphyllum oxypetalum buds, now in the evening.  Also called Night Blooming Cereus and Orchid Cactus.

Only five hours have passed since the big budding out started. By now, at 21:00 o'clock, I know 100% certain that around midnight the show will be spectacular. Just have a look at the evening sight:

Not easy to photograph in the dark of the evening... 

Amazing that the tiny buds that were lagging behind only six days ago, have completely caught up!

Tomorrow I will show the full show of exotic blooms as they completely opened up after midnight!

They look almost identical...

Slowly they start opening up now... So now you  already can tell what color it will be I guess...?

Please do come back tomorrow for the final sequel of these spectacular blooms. 

Related link:

{LOOK how our Epiphyllum oxypetalum buds in only 6 days till THE afternoon...} | previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

{LOOK how our Epiphyllum oxypetalum buds in only 6 days till THE afternoon...}

This summer we have been lucky for finally capturing our gorgeous Epiphyllum oxypetalum's buds and blooms! It is so spectacular that I will show you this in three posts. First we start with the buds that are forming and than six days later comes an enormous burst of energy. The only other example of such a burst of growing power we know, could be in the world of mushrooms. Almost an explosion! Hard to imagine that all this power comes about for BUT ONE NIGHT of an extraordinary exotic show.

On July 31, we did count a total of 6 buds!

Here is our Epiphyllum oxypetalum, outside near our gazebo on a platform that husband Pieter made on a wooden pole. 

It is a rather long trailing plant and it needs ample space for blooming.

The other trailing plant you see is a South African, Ceropegia ampliata - Bushman's Pipe - Horny Wonder, see link below this post from my previous blog about it when blooming. 

Quite a difference in size... however this tiny one will catch up in 6 days!

Certain leaves are huge.

Those buds even have rather long stems.

Later you will learn why.

A big one at the top.

Almost like an arm with a hand...

All of them are pointing straight down!

Looks also a bit like an enlarged tip of a green asparagus...

Now it is August 6, around 16:00 o'clock; only 6 days later!

We lost one of those six buds, but all five are ready to burst open now, during the coming night!

Here you also see WHY those buds have such long stems and here they already curved forward.

Those buds are pointing away from their stem, like an elegant swan neck...

For sure it will be this coming night that they open and put on quite a show!

From the other side, looking towards the pond now. 

What an enormous growing power...

Towards the gazebo, seen in back.

Those buds are already very pretty, the way they are right now!

With their graduating colors of pink and white...

Just to give you an idea of its size, holding it inside my hand...

Holding it in both hands now for admiring it and letting it go.

We have our tea and I will be back at 21:00 o'clock after supper, with more photos for you.

Weird photo with my left leg totally out of proportion.

But you got the picture and next post we show you more!

Does any of you have one like this?

What do you think the color of the bloom will be like?

Related links:

{Epiphyllum Bloom Missed Again} | previous post by me
{Epiphyllum Bloom Missed...} | previous post by me
{Ceropegia ampliata - Bushman's Pipe - Horny Wonder} | previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

{Epiphyllum Bloom Missed Again}

On August 24 I did write about the very same Orchid Cactus, see link below post. Our bad luck must have something to do with us going to Atlanta as it happened again to us. On Tuesday, October 11, I had a business women's luncheon in Atlanta with The Netherlands American Chamber of he Southeastern United States. Pieter did join me and had lunch at the same restaurant where I had the meeting. Very pleasant day and we did some shopping as usual and got home at dark. We had heavy rain that evening and night. Much needed though. I had been monitoring our Epiphyllum, or Orchid Cactus, since September 28 for not wanting to miss out again on its lovely blooms. This time it looked even more promising as it started out with 3 buds. But on October 7, there was only 1 bud left. October 9 were the last photos taken before we went away and than the next day, husband Pieter discovered that we had MISSED it again. Probably during that heavy rain, at night it did open up. Poor thing!

On September 28 we got so excited for noticing 3 buds!

Closeup taken from one of the three buds on September 28...

By October 7, only 1 bud was left, the other two had fallen off...

This is already October 9...

Still the photo above is on October 9th.

Early morning on October 12, after heavy rains all night and evening before.

Either the rain was too heavy or we just missed it while we were in Atlanta.

There will be another year and we look forward to it already!

Related articles

{Epiphyllum Bloom Missed...} | previous post by me

Mariette on Google+