Reblooming Orchid

This is the third rebloom for this orchid in two years.  That's the most success I've ever had with an orchid.  

I water it with a quarter cup of room temperature water once a week.  I always use rain water or distilled water - that seems to be really important.  When it starts to make a flower stalk, I give it half-strength regular liquid plant fertilizer about once a month.  It lives on a south facing windowsill but during the winter that doesn't mean it's getting hot sun.  I leave it on the cool windowsill, unless it is very cold at night, as I read that the cooler air triggers the flower stem. If we do get a day with strong sun, I move it away from the window.  In the summer, our south windows actually get quite a bit of shade from trees so the orchid is OK in the south window even then.  If it was more exposed, I would move it to an east window.

I cut the last flowering stalk to the nearest node when it finished blooming as sometimes they will shoot again.  Nothing yet but I'm still hoping as the stem is still green.

I noticed aphids on my celery a few weeks ago so it has been banished to the basement.  I gave it a good rinse with water and haven't seen any more aphids but I'm not taking any chances.  It gets quite a bit of light where it is but it is chilly so not much new growth.  If we get some mild days in March, I'll pop it outside for a few hours in the middle of the day.

One of my seed orders has been delayed as the seed company didn't receive its seeds as early as usual, and they also have lots of orders. No matter.  I'm really glad to hear that many people have taken up gardening during the past two years.

 

Once Upon A Time

 Once upon a time there was a group of unacceptables.  They were called the "fringe".  They were smelly, they swore a lot and they had dirty jobs.  One day they decided they needed a break.  They parked their big rigs and set up. They were loud - VERY LOUD but they had rhythm. Soon they had built a canteen and gave out free hot soup and hamburgers.  They gave out clothes.  They played music and people danced.  Someone hired a bouncy castle for the kids.  They put flags on hockey sticks when they weren't playing pick-up games of ball hockey.  

The acceptables went ballistic.  "HOW DARE THEY!" "THEY ARE TERRIBLE AND SCARY!"

One day, the unacceptables decided to pick up camp.  They drove away, blaring their horns, back to life on the road.  And as they drove down the long, long highways, mile after mile, they had the odd chuckle about the days when they were truly unacceptable.