On My Walk This Morning 4g

 

"Daphne" White Orchid.  This is one of a dozen orchids of different varieties and
colors tied to trees around the door to this condo.

"Lilac Cluster" Orchids.  As you can see, the stem is loaded with buds, so

I will come by again and see it loaded with flowers.

"Pittisporum" is an attractive low growing plant.  This one has glossy leaves;

other varieties have a matte surface.  They vary in color from pale green, like this one,

to deeper shades of forest green.

These are "Mini White Phalaenopsis" and they now have three clusters of flowers.

The plant started blooming a couple of months ago with a few flowers in one

cluster.  It has developed additional clusters along the stem and many more flowers.

"Grandpa's Pajamas" is another mini-phalaenopsis orchid.  The flowers are about

one-third the size of standard orchids.  They are quite charming and delicate.

"Strawberry Lime" Coleus is a new bed which they just planted.

The flowers look very nice now, but unless they are watered regularly, they will

fall apart.  Coleus is one of the easiest flowers to grow and also the cheapest.

Just use a sharp knife or razor to cut off a piece five inches long with a growing tip,

put it in a shot glass with water, and in ten days it will have inch long roots and

you can plant it in dirt.  But you must water regularly.

"Pink Bubblegum" Hibiscus.  This condo building uses lots of hibiscus.

Left alone, the tree will bloom prolifically.  But groundskeepers want it to stay

back away from the sidewalk and stay symmetrical, so they trim it - and cut off

all the buds.  Right now the tree is small enough that it can show off many blooms

before they cut it back.

The "Bismark Palm" is striking for its grey-green color and for the large fans.

It is always very dramatic in a setting.  This is the entrance to the swimming pool,

with Blue Agave, Asparagus Fern, and Yucca plants growing tall.

These are the small pink and white wax begonias.  They are growing very thick

and bushy.  They come in three heights (at least): these small ones,

the big beautiful Angel Wing and Dragon Wing varieties growing along

the driveway, and an intermediate height for hedges.

Pink and White Begonias Wax Begonias in front, and larger Angel Wing Begonias

behind, but not in very good shape here.

"Red, White, and Pink Impatiens."   The bushes get bigger and bigger and thicker and

thicker.  Like Coleus, they are easy to grow and multiply.

"Arboricola" is a very colorful, dense, and hardy variety of Schefflera.

"Red Wax Begonias."  They are very bright and intense in a bed.

"Red Wax Begonias"

A cluster of Mini White Phalaenopsis.  This year there are a number of the

Mini-Phalaenopsis Orchids.  They are popular in stores because they take up less

room on a table or desk and last a long time.

"Tawney Tiger" Orchids.  They do not grow on a straight stiff stem, but
on a flexible, curving stem.  

"Frivolity" Orchids.  These are actually in a mini-variety.

This condo has several mini varieties, so there must be someone who really likes them.

"Dream of Esperanza" Orchids

These blossoms are so delicate and soft, they almost appear to be clouds of smoke.

"Canary Flock" Orchids are one of a number of orchids around the door of 
this condo.

"Buttercup Beauties" are a thick cluster of large yellow orchids

with purple throats.  They hang over the back of the bench in front.

"Aunt Violet" is a deep, rich purple variety of orchid with wine colored throat.

They are across from the yellow varieties.

I made two wonderful new discoveries this morning.  The first is this gorgeous

ten foot high Gardenia Bush.  Most gardenia bushes are about four feet high, 

and they prune them so awfully that only a few flowers appear.  This bush is set back

away from the path, and so they must ignore it.  It had dozens of gorgeous Gardenias all over.

"Gardenia #1."  They all look as if they are made of snow white velvet,

and each flower is different in its petals.

"Gardenia #2"

"Gardenia #3."  I could have taken dozens, but I stopped after six.

And not far away, in a parking lot, is this magnificent "Scarlet" Red Weeping Hibiscus.

Most hibiscus grow on firm stems that are rather short.  But this weeping variety has been

developed with long flexible wands six feet long with a flower at the end of each.  

Breathtaking!  And the red color is the most intense of all the flowers.

Another "Scarlet" Red Weeping Hibiscus.  In D.C. some of my favorite

cherry trees are the weeping variety, especially in the Japanese Garden outside

the Freer Museum of Asian Art on the Mall.

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