I picked up a friend from the airport this weekend, and we took the opportunity to stop by Al's Orchid Greenhouse, just a few minutes from the airport. We potted up and/or transplanted a bunch of gesneriads growing in the greenhouse, then I wandered around shooting a few photos. A lot of beautiful orchids are in bloom right now, although it seems I didn't photograph many of them.

Oncidium Wildcat 'Golden Red Star'



These two photos were taken special for Mr. Subjunctive--a NOID Anthurium growing on the floor of the greenhouse. The new leaves seem to be a shiny bronze green.





Ficus bonsai



Adenium grown from seed (about 2 years old)



Sinningia leucotricha







Ascocentrum pusillum





Unifoliate Streptocarpus growing epiphytically on a cinderblock. The leaf is about 2 feet long, and the abscission zone is really obvious.

There is certainly more going on in The Indoor Garden(er) world, but these Hippeastrum blooms are certainly the most striking (and uplifting) of the bunch.

This bloom is from the second plant. It is a pretty saturated red with just a hint of orange, just like the first one.



A close up of the pollen, just for fun.



Although the face of the flower looks pretty damn red, the back has white streaks like its sibling over at Plants Are The Strangest People, perhaps harkening back to the possible pollen donor being the pink/white amaryllis I had blooming at the same time as the seed parent, "Red Lion."



I am, of course, crossing like mad. One of my friends has offered H. papilio pollen--if he doesn't get it to me in time for these blooms, I have a second spike coming up from the second plant, so I can use it on those flowers! Or, I can wait a few years until my own H. papilio blooms, although I'm not sure I have that much patience!

I'm starting seed for this year's gardening. I'll be growing in pots in the front yard this year, so I have to be a little more selective in what I grow. I'm only starting 50 little pots of seedlings right now; I sowed these seeds on 6 March 2014.



I sowed:

• Cutting celery (2)
  
• Cutting celery seed collected from my community garden plot last August (1)
  
• Tiny Tim tomato (2)
  
• Molokhia (2)
  
• Shishito pepper (2)
  
• Thai basil (2)
  
• "Purple allium-looking thing" (1)
  
• "Asian mint purple" (1)
  
• Black Cherry tomato (2)
  
• Tumbling Tom tomato (2)
  
• Green cotton from Sheila (4 for me, 27 for sharing)
  

I'm planning also on perhaps cucumbers for pickling and some other herbs--I'm sure I'll run across a few additional plants to pick up in the spring.

As of 10 March 2014, many of the seeds have already germinated!

My Hippeastrum has bloomed! The photo colours are about accurate--the red has a hint of orange to it.



The second one is about to bloom.



The second one is also sending up a second spike.