Hello, my name is Melanie and I'm a Chris-aholic.

[mellymell]

So, conversations of how Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day are in general sham holidays that we're obligated to celebrate aside, Chris surprised me with a new orchid and a wonderful dinner last night. Last week was the surf, this week the turf. Along with a big, wonderful, perfectly cooked (despite setting them on fire) steaks, he made steamed asparagus with hollandaise sauce and mashed sweet potatoes with chipotles. As an appetizer, he made stuffed, marinated mushrooms (marinated in balsamic vinegar and stuffed with a mixture of onion, the mushroom stems, artichoke hearts, mozzarella and goat cheeses and bread crumbs and I'm really not sure what else, if I left out anything). Everything was incredibly delicious, though neither of us could finish our steaks. Thinking of searing them a second time and slicing them up for salads tonight, perhaps.

The orchid is a new species to my small, but growing collection. A Cymbidium, it's huge at about 3 feet tall. It kind of reminds me of a Gladiolus, with strap-like leaves arching up a bit taller than the flower spikes that are covered in large, kind of cupped, trumpet-like flowers. When I read about the culture of the species, it seems they'll do well right along side the rest of them with just one seasonal difference. In the fall, I need to let it get cool and stay cool (like around 45 degrees) and relatively dry and unfertilized for a few weeks. After this cooling period, bringing it back to normal growth temps and humidity will trigger another round of flower spikes, just in time for the dead of winter.

The Cymbidium Chris just gave me.


See how huge the plant is!


The Aspasia we picked up at the Whole Foods grand opening at the Hill Center Nov. 1st of last year.


The shape of the flowers just really stood out as unique.

Unfortunately, about a month after purchasing this one, I let it get too dry and it dropped all it's flowers and hasn't sent up new spikes yet. When the heat kicked on in the winter, I really had to adjust my watering schedules for everything.

The "Kaleidescope" Phalanopis my mother-in-law gave me last summer.


I really love the coloring. The flowers appear to get more pale as they age.


And the traditional white Phalanopis Chris gave me for my birthday last year and my very first orchid.


White flowers with their own special charcter. You can see why they call the species "moth orchids".


All but the Aspasia have been blooming since I got them. For as intimidated as I was before I got one, I'm starting to feel quite comfortable with them. At least the beginner species anyway (which all of these are). I really need to repot every single one of them though and that does intimidate me quite a bit. I'm just going to have to bite my lip and do it though. Maybe I'll do that this weekend.

Comments

[lordofhaladin.livejournal.com]

ooh! those are so pretty! and Chris seems like such a sweetie! :D

[mellymell.livejournal.com]

He really is. I'm quite lucky!

[branflake.livejournal.com]

i'm so glad you are so happy!!!! that means the world to me! so, i'm going to be in huntsville march 13-17. :)

[cleopatramwi.livejournal.com]

Oooh, beautfiul!
I can't keep any flowering plants alive. They hate me!

[mellymell.livejournal.com]

I was thinking the same about you when we got off the phone the other day. I haven't heard such bounce (for lack of a better word) in your voice in a long time and I'm so very happy to hear it again, even if it means you have to be on the other side of the country from me.

And yah! I'll definitely make plans to see you then.

[mellymell.livejournal.com]

They seem to tolerate me thus far. I go through spells where all my house plants look like crap (like right now, my majesty palm has scale and everything is just looking wilty, in need of more water and fertilizer than I've been providing). But, even if everything else gets neglected for a week or two at a time, I try to make sure the orchids get some attention. My palms and especially the bird of paradise really hate me right now. One of my main goals this summer is to attempt to coax my bird of paradise to bloom. I'll probably move it outside and switch to a phosphorus fertilizer. But for now, I'm just trying to get it healthy again.