So, last weekend, with Chris' help, we got out and finished planting pansies and aster in the front bed, pulled up all the sensitive bulbs and dead annuals that were hit with frost in the past couple of weeks. Then we mulched everything up there really well. I still have yet to clean out, cut back and mulch the back bed under the dining room windows, but perhaps I can get to that this weekend at some point, if it's not going to rain (haven't checked the weather).

( In orchid country )

( Indoor gardening through winter and plans for next year )

The white Phalanopis orchid that Chris gave me for my birthday nearly 2 years ago (my very first orchid) had to have the two inflorescences that have been blooming constantly since I got it cut off today. It seems in my neglect, the plant picked up some scale that was mostly localized on the blooms. In my experience in dealing with scale, it's necessary to just remove the infested section of the plant (if possible) or get rid of the plant all together. Otherwise, it's bound to keep coming back. You have a chance if it's not really an infestation yet and you can remove them all by hand. There were a few (as in less than 10) that I removed from the leaves and I also removed a couple of dead/dying leaves while I was at it. I'm going to keep an eye on it, though since sometimes you might not see the babies and/or any that might be living on the surface of the soil. I gave it a good soak in the bathroom sink and sprinkled a little fertilizer in the water hoping that would help it revive a little. Maybe it will put some new energy into new inforescences since it can't just keep sending off blooms on the existing ones as it was doing.

The "Kaleidoscope" Phalanopis that was sitting right next to the white one seemed unaffected. I checked it very carefully. I did remove 3-4 little hard dark brown/black spots on one of the blooms, but I'm not certain they were scale. They could have just been sort of scabby areas where something nibbled at it. If they were scale, they weren't the same kind at all. I'll be keeping an eye on it as well. When I put them back in their spaces, I moved them away from the fern that I suspect might be the culprit.

I still haven't repotted any of the four orchids I have. I know, it's terrible *hangs head in shame*. I've had pots and planting medium sitting in the garage since probably June or July. I'm kind of half afraid to and half just got into other things (mostly sewing) and stopped spending time gardening. Repotting can sometimes be tricky business with orchids and I don't want to screw them up, since even with neglect, they seem to be doing ok. I mostly remember to water them when I look at the Aspasia and the Cymbidium and their pseudobulbs are wrinkled and shrinking. Then all four get an emergency soak. The Phals don't show those signs (though their surface roots do grey a bit and their blooms droop a little more than usual when they need a drink) and appear to be more resilient through drought than their distant cousins. All of them got a good soak and a dose of fertilizer this week, though.

I really need to get back to regular watering/feeding schedules with all my indoor plants again. Otherwise, I'm going to be dealing with losses like what I experienced today all winter. I always have a few pests to deal with in the winter months on my houseplants, but as long as I keep everything watered, in good air circulation and well fed, I'm less likely to have to deal with many pests.

I'm just kind of sad that it seems to be the end of a streak. Would have been neat to say the same inflorescences had been blooming for many more years.