Tuesday, August 9, 2011

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.

18 comments:

  1. Some interesting blooms this week Janet. I love the color on that Climbing Butterfly Pea and the flower is pretty cool too. :)

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  2. Janet,

    I too enjoy seeing the butterfly pea. Wish I could join you to see the Epiphyllum oxypetalum blooming, ours is not budding this year. Glad your with me!!!

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  3. Love those pics. I had the night blooming plant but sadly the cold got is last yr. It has been outside my back door for yrs. Pot too big to move. I would love a cutting. Thanks.

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  4. That anole is waiting for a snack-in the form of a little bird. lol Very nice on the night opening flowers. They smell great right?

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  5. I love the anole sitting on the feeder. Funny little guy.

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  6. It is nice of you to share your Epiphyllum, though I already have some. When I worked at Home Quarters I struck up a conversation with a customer who had just moved to Norfolk from San Diago and was lamenting the colder climate. We got to talking about Epiphyllum and that afternoon she brought me half a dozen cuttings. I have sinced shared them several times over.

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  7. how pretty and unique that first plant is!

    my night blooming ceresus has never bloomed. it's in full sun and has grown a lot.... who knows.

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  8. Not sure which is most bewitching, the Epiphyllum the Butterfly Pea or the Euonymus americanus seed pod. The anole looks small enough to provide a snack for a passing bird - does this ever happen? Good idea to use the background, I somehow never get around to it, but will try to remember next time I am attempting to capture something with a lousy or over busy background.

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  9. Epiphyllum oxypetalum seems so exotic and mysterious to me! Quite a beauty.

    You're finding some pretty wildflowers. I dare not walk in our woods during tick season. Do you not have a tick population?

    I find salvia greggii very difficult to photo due to the small features of the blooms and stems. Sometimes I find it best to step back and use the zoom rather than a close-up range or the macro setting.

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  10. I have to chuckle because I totally understand how exciting the cranefly orchid bloom is for you . . . but I doubt that a non-plantsperson would appreciate it, since it's not super showy. I have so many plants like that in my garden - I was so excited to see the first leaves on my Darmera peltata, but a nongardener would wonder why, since they're just green leaves. Cool umbrella-shaped leaves, but still. Anyway, glad your baby bloomed for you. Enjoy it!

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  11. Ha, just added another to the want list. :) The native Butterfly Pea is lovely. Lucky you to have it growing wild in your woods!

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  12. You have some beautiful blooms there! Love your captions about the anole--so cute!
    It is interesting to see the results of changing up backgrounds, using different lighting/flash settings. I really like the orchid with your knee pad as a background. Very nice.

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  13. Oh, I love that butterfly pea, so sweet and delicate looking! I had an Oxypetalum several years ago, but it got just huge and ungainly, and never bloomed. They do have such pretty flowers, though, and I've heard they perfume the whole area around them.

    I had to laugh at the silly sequence you did with the anole on the hummingbird feeder.

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  14. Love that image of the anole on the hummingbird feeder!

    We've seen more cranefly orchids this summer (in the mts) that we've seen in a long time. Hope yours flourish.

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  15. You have some really exotic plants! I love the climbing pea. I've never seen a vine like that before. I looks like a sweet pea. I've also never seen a lizard in NoVA. They probably couldn't stand the traffic and left!

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  16. Both the cuttings you sent me last year have rooted and are growing. Can't wait until I see some buds someday.

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  17. i marked my cranefly orchid, too, but no bloom this year. it did bloom a couple of years ago and i didn't see it last year, but i thought i just missed it, so i marked it when the leaves came back out. but no flower for me. lucky you!

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  18. Racquel, thanks I have been having a good time learning about what is in my woods.

    Randy, I have been known to add banana peels to the soil/pot of the epi--seems to kick start the blooming. I am enjoying finding the Butterfly Pea.

    Lola, I am sorry your Epi died, I will be VERY happy to send you a number of cuttings. Glad I have something you are interested in having! A little later in the fall I will send it.

    Tina, he is so funny, makes the trip to the top of the feeder at least once a day. Yes, the Epi smells wonderful!

    Marguerite, he is a funny little guy.

    Les, I think you were going to offer some of your Epi to me and Racquel when we were in your garden. Nice that someone you didn't know was so kind to give you cuttings from her Epi.

    Ginger, Isn't that Cranefly Orchid something? Most elusive! Add some banana peels to the soil. Works for me.

    Janet, they are both pretty wonderful. I am not sure if the anole is afraid of any big birds...maybe he should be!

    Cameron, I love the Epi blooms...always an occasion when they open. As for ticks, amazingly I have had no ticks last year or this year....lots of chigger bites and maybe spiders? but no ticks!
    I will try your technique of stepping back to photograph.

    VW, No the orchid is not very showy, but it is exciting. I did show a neighbor and she was very underwhelmed!

    Sweetbay, The Butterfly Pea is a sweety. She doesn't bloom for long, but nice big (about 1-2 inches) bloom.

    Aerie-el, thanks, glad you like the anole, he is fun to watch.

    Alison, Sorry your Epi never bloomed, they do get ugly and leggy. We have lots of lizard type critters around and they are such fun to watch.

    Lisa, Pretty funny, eh? I hope my cranefly flourishes too!

    Casa Mariposa, they aren't too exotic, but very interesting. I don't think the anole are that far north, though it could be the traffic!!

    Kim and Victoria, Wonderful~!

    Daricia, Sorry yours didn't bloom. I had given up on mine and then was pleasantly surprised. I will keep the sticks marking it through the winter.

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