It's That Time of Year

Guess who bloomed?  This is the bloom of the Cranefly Orchid that was mentioned in the post way back in January.   The leaves of the Tipularia discolor disappear in the late spring early summer time frame.  I marked where I found the leaves with a few limbs/sticks.  I wanted to be sure to remember where it was so I could find it again this summer.   I checked and checked over the early part of the summer and saw nothing.  I was sure either I missed it or the plant died.  

Well, after a brief (and I do mean brief) rainfall this weekend I ventured over to see if there was anything happening.  Lo and behold, a single stem had risen from the ground.  Hooray!!

This slender stem was difficult to photograph.  I have noticed some bloggers have a solid/plain background for their photos.  Well, I needed something to allow me to focus on the stem of blooms and not the woods in the background.  The top photo is a piece of white paper I grabbed from the desk.  The photo below is my kneeling pad.....full of holes and pinestraw and dirt.  I will experiment with some other background items to see which will best profile my bloom.  I went back today to see about taking more photos and this heat has taken its toll on the stem.  Lucky I saw it when I did.

 While looking around the woods along the driveway I found another Chimaphila maculata, looking quite fresh and healthy.  The clump by the Cranefly Orchid is a bit crispy. 

 The mystery plant from my April posting seems to be a Goldenrod.  We have various varieties of Solidago that grow wild in South Carolina.  I will post again when the buds open.

 This is the view of the little sprouts from that April posting.....see how large they have grown?  If we get some rain we may have the buds open sooner.  Everything is so dry.

Centrosema virginianum 'Climbing Butterfly-pea' remember it from my post last November? It is starting to bloom now.  These vines are all over the woods.  In the sea of green and brown this little lavender bloom really stands out.

 Also in that November post was the Euonymus americanus, its seed pod is still green right now.  I look forward to seeing the red seed pod burst open.

Our hummingbird feeder has been busy with more hummingbirds than earlier in the summer.  I need to change the water again.  The bugs keep getting into the feeder.....and the anole like to guard it!

 I am King of the Feeders!

 Hellloooo? 

Finally -- it is the time of year that my Epiphyllum oxypetalum is finally blooming.  Last year's move to SC took a toll on this plant.  I am glad to see three buds....two ready to open

I kept an eye on it through the evening and two blooms slowly opened.

 The photo above was taken with a night setting on the camera.  I like the look, the flash comes a hair before the shutter.   The photo below is taken without the night setting and no flash, just porch light.

I have to hold my breath because the shutter is so slow in the dark, it get blurry with even the slightest move.

Since this is the time for the epi's bloom, it is also time to offer a cutting of said beauty.  I will take some cuttings in the fall.  Let me know if you are interested by sending me an email at thequeenofseafordatgmaildotcom.   It will take a few years for the cutting to be mature enough to bloom, but once it does......you will be in love!

©Copyright 2011 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.