Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day, February 2014

Potted Camellia’s are the star of the February greenhouse. Inside, a somewhat toasty 60º F, outside, a blizzard blows fierce, once again. At least the propane delivery man was able to make a delivery today. I am stuck indoors, sipping Jasmine tea, making soup stock, and ordering seeds. Things could be worse.

Snow slips off of the greenhouse, and piles up on the alpine bed. Something I need to monitor, incase the snow reaches the curved glass. I frequently need to shovel out the snow along the foundation, so that it does not drift.

A Cyrtanthus cross, still a mystery cross, yet who really cares, as  it blooms for me every year. Known in South Africa as the ‘Fire Lily’. it’s coral color warms even the coldest heart on this day after Valentines Day.

Primula malacoides seedlings, or the Fairy Primrose –  just beginning to bloom. An old florist plant which is not that common in the market anymore, but I like to grow it as it for nostalgic reasons. I am hoping that these young plants grow larger, and they may, since they are making great strides in growth, even during this dark, cold, winter.

I positioned a few flowering plants onto one of the back benches, just to photograph them. The light quality is pretty poor today, with heavy snow sliding off of the glass, but you can still appreciate the two orange flower spikes in the back. On the left, A Cyrtanthus x elatus and on the right, a Clivia x Cyrtanthiflora Group, which means that it is an interspecific Clivia with blossoms that are similar to a Cyrtanthus species. Clearly, so.

A single spike of the Australian native Dendrobium specioum. My specimen has about 8 spikes this year ( I have not counted yet. This species can grow very large, and even though I am growing it in a 24″ orchid basket, I may need to have a basket custom made soon, as it is outgrowing this container.

Another view of this enormous Dendrobium specioum.The foliage is a little damaged from sunburn, so there will be no hauling this beast to an orchid society judging weekend any time soon! I think I may move this plant next week, to a more central location in the greenhouse, where I can enjoy it at eye level. This is an orchid species that can handle cool greenhouse conditions, so it does very well in my greenhouse.

I had to climb up onto the potting bench to take the photo of the Dendrobium specioum so I thought that I would share this view looking down onto the back of the greenhouse.

February is Camellia season under glass in New England. Here are a few varieties that are in bloom on this snowy day. Maybe I will pick a few to bring across the street to Elenore who is 89. It can be her Valentine’s gift.

Here are some rarities for the serious plant collectors who might be reading this post. On the left, a deeply rooted summer dormant plant from the Caucasus, Asphodelus caulks. Its pink lily-like blooms are closed on this overcast, snowy day. On the right, is a pot of a rare Scilla from Greece, Scilla aristides, which makes a nice alpine house subject.

In my kitchen, I arranged a few pots of begonias and potted bulbs, along with a Clivia x cyrtanthiflora Group plant on the gravel. Feels like spring, even though it doesn’t look like it outside.

The Magnolia stellata branches that I picked to force for my fathers birthday party, finally bloomed this week. I really didn’t expect them to open on time, and their grey, fuzzy buds looks nice in the larger arrangements of forced branches, but now that they are opening, they are fragrant and so nice, brightening up the house on this snow day.

Chicken Stock, Lentil Soup and Corned Beef – it’s a day for cooking! On the shelf, seed trays enjoy the heat.

My home town of Worcester, MA is, well, let’s just say that I wish I lived in Vermont and not in a struggling mid-sized city sometime. But one of the best things about living in this city is the rising ethnic diversity, in particular, the new Asian community, which comes with some incredible Asian restaurants and markets. Today, Joe wanted some Asian greens with chicken stock, since he was fighting off a cold he caught while on his trip to Westminster Dog Show earlier this week, so sent him off to our favorite Asian market in the city.

He returned with all the ingredients which at one time we could only get by heading out back to one of the coops, and slaughtering a few ducks and hens. In the large pot stews cut chicken backs, fresh chicken and duck feet ( yes, I  know, but they will add the collagen so necessary for an unctuous, gelatinous soup stock) and a pickled turnip.  Oh – notice the seed trays on the shelf? I started some Gloxinia ( Sinningia speciosa hybrids) and some Lisianthus. Both requiring 75º F temps for germination. They will go under lights set to 15 hours of daylight once germinated. Any shorter, and the Glozinia will form tubers too early.