Much to my delight, a Dendrobium orchid attached to the Cyrtostachys renda (Lipstick Palm Tree) suddenly put forth a short spay of only six flowers
Volunteer ferns (corsage fern) on base of palms
This happen without any effort from me. I do not spray any of the tree-bound orchids with fertilizer or even water them as I treat them as parasite of the palm tree.
This Carpenter bee was methodical in its visit to the flowers.
It first buzzed its way to topmost left flower (No 1).
It first buzzed its way to topmost left flower (No 1).
It then retreated and
visited flower No. 2 which is the immediate flower to the right and so on.
Cyrtostachys renda (Lipstick Palm Tree) is a very slow growing palm. This clump is about 20 years old.
At the base of the mature stems, numerous new stems have sprouted. These can then be successfully propagated. They can also be grown from seeds, but this method takes a long time.
Lovely to see some warm tropical pictures again! The Lipstick Palms are lovely. Do you attach the orchids to them or do they find their own way there? There is just so much life in your garden!
ReplyDeleteHi Nick, warm tropics is fine, but this is about the hottest time of the year in Malaysia and it always coincide with Chinses New Year of Spring Festival.
DeleteThe orchids were attached manually and left to survive on its own without any help from me.
The orchid spray is so delicate and pretty, and the carpenter bee in comparison very robust. He looks as if he was doing a very good job pollinating the flowers.
ReplyDeleteHi Rosemary! The carpenter bee was actually very rough as it went about its pollinating duties. The flowers looks rather tattered after its visit!
DeletePalmy pięknie wyglądają, a delikatny storczyk jest cudowny. Miło jest mieć taki wspaniały ogród. Pozdrawiam.
ReplyDeletePalm trees look beautiful and delicate orchid is wonderful. It is nice to have such a wonderful garden. Yours.
The lipstick palm used to be the "de riguer" in public and private gardens. However, over the years, it has gone out of favour with Malaysian landscapers and gardeners. They go for newly discovered plants. After all these years, I still fancy this red palm.
DeleteYou have a beautiful garden Elsie. Bet you gonna miss this a lot when you move out.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder I'm seeing many gardeners attached orchids to palm trees, they make good companion to each other!
How's your new garden coming along? If I can help you in any way please let me know ok :)
Take care.
Thanks Ash. I'm still keeping this garden and house even though I move to a new one. However I wont be moving any tall trees. The logistics of doing it is mindboggling.
DeleteIts so sweet of you to offer, but I wouldn't think of asking you, as it involves a lot of backbreaking work. Anyway thanks for for the offer. We dug out the row of hydrangea shrubs and they seem to be thriving in the new garden, whoopee.
Yeay!! Congratulations! May your new garden be as beautiful as this one :)
DeleteDid you say the row? OmG! How many hydrangea shrubs do you have?!
Twelve to be precise :) I could have made more cuttings, but there won't be enough room. I still have my Hibiscus trees to transplant but just don't know how to fit all them in the limited space.
DeleteHow lovely to see your Dendrobium, I have never seen one for real although I actually have one myself! I have a white Dendrobium kingianum and bought the mother plant 10 years ago. It grew very big and I eventually took out some of the keikis and potted in a separate pot. The mother plant was bought out of season but never flowered for me, despite I was told I would not need to do anything special in order to get it to flower – as in lower the temperature or put it in the dark etc. – but still, no flowers. The mother plant died suddenly about 3 years ago but the keikis is now a healthy plant in one pot, also without any flowers yet. Maybe it is just too dark on my kitchen window sill, can’t think of anything else!
ReplyDeleteI admire your patience and persistence. Dendrobiums generally need more sunlight compare to Phalaenopsis. Move them gradually out into the sun and apply liquid fertiliser and you should be rewarded with blooms.
DeleteI love your orchids, Elsie! Nice color! this carpenter bee loves them too I think. I hope the bee does not damage the orchids!
ReplyDeleteToo bad, the bee did damage the orchids. They were torn and tattered after several days of non-stop assault!
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