MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS

Saturday, September 15, 2012

{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...

Friday, September 14, 2012

{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.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

{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.