{Our Bletilla Striata Alba Orchid native to Japan and China}

Already since February 1996 we do have our Bletilla Striata Alba Orchid, or Chinese Ground Orchids as they're called. They are native to Japan and China. The hyperlink also gives shipping information, for those of you who would want to know. Also there is the Japanese Bletilla striata 'Kuchibeni' offered from Plant Delights Nursery, Inc. in a purple lip variety. Both are equally pretty. Ours grow in the wood garden and yes, they are winter hardy as well! We got them from Carroll Gardens, from Westminster, Maryland who unfortunately are no longer in business since June of 2009. They always were an excellent source of rare plants and shrubs with high quality plant material.

Even though it is called 'Alba' it is still showing a hint of purple. This is last year's blossom, photo taken on April 27. Join me on a Garden Tour.

That is their foliage, broad green leaves. We have them next to our Ginger lilies and that foliage is still on the ground. This photo is taken on April 8 and the last photos with the blossoms completely open are from April 12.

A close-up of our teenage Orchids... 15 years old!

April 27, 2010

April 12, 2011

It is a beautiful Orchid and I can only recommend it!

{Mother's Day & Pelargonium Childhood Memories}

On April 12, before we did go on our trip to Florida, all the potted plants came out of the greenhouse. Our Pelargonium were already blooming inside the greenhouse so I filled a vase full. Instant memories came back to mind about my Mom and it is quite appropriate to post this for Mother's day. 

Join me for a Garden Tour.

When I stood there with the beautiful salmon red and white geraniums in my hands, all of a sudden by its very smell I went back to my early childhood...

Are they not lovely? Well, I wish you too could pick up its typical geranium scent. Because of that, I did travel back in time... to The Netherlands.

Here I am, a little girl of maybe four or five years old, watching Mom cleaning our windows. The house had narrow tall windows with smaller panes inside and they were being opened from the center by pulling down a shiny brass handle so they came inwards into the room... There were indoor shutters to close for privacy and a rather wide window sill on which Mom kept her prized red geraniums. They could remain between the window and the shutters, once they got closed, there was enough space.

At times the condensation did make the windows all wet and water had to run down into a special carved out mini-gutter which had one rounded opening in the center, that let the water out through the wall outward. At times we had to poke the hole free of some dirt or a fly that got trapped in there, using a knitting needle... We were quite inventive at that time!

Watching Mom do the window treatment was quite something! She used water with vinegar in it, a sponge (a real one from the ocean which vendors sold door to door at that time!) and a chamois. The geraniums were taken down and were put on the table, making the scent fill the air even more so by the movements. Mom also vigorously did polish the brass handle of each window with Brasso. Yes, Brasso we were accustomed to in the Old World as well - at least this remained the same after immigrating! I still can sniff all these special scents of the vinegar in the water, the sour smell of the Brasso used on a cotton cloth and then the geraniums... oh I just LOVED them!

They will stay deeply engraved into my memory forever and that's why they live with us still today.

Wishing you all a Happy Mother's Day with fond memories too!
Too far for me to visit Mom, but we've visited her 63 times; so no regrets so far...

{Southern Ringneck Snake}

On April 12, just after midnight, one of our felines did come into the home with a little snake. I've never had the chance to hold one in my hands and I even managed to take some photos from it. Using only my right hand and since the camera is most of the time connected to its tripod, I held the short handle in my mouth to stabilize... You CANNOT put a live snakey down for adjusting your camera. But, the shots are not too bad so you get to see it too. Of course, after the glamour shots were made; I released it near the creek! I could hear it whisper: 'Thank you ever so much!'... It made me sleep with a clear conscious once again. Oh, by the way, I did touch it with my bare hand and it feels rather silky, not slimy at all! Next day I did my research after I uploaded the photos and looked it up in our Reptile book. A Southern Ringneck Snake it said and it was about 10" or 25 cm long. Obviously it had had a good supper as there was a bulging half way... Enjoy the photos below:

The paper towel is BOUNTY...

Beautiful markings and its eyes open all the time...

No it is not a viper, not dangerous but I didn't know it at the time I held it.

Big eyes...

You clearly can see the ring around its neck; hence its name - Southern Ringneck Snake...