On My Walk This Morning 4k

I extended my walk this morning to incorporate two more buildings, and I found a

treasure trove of orchids and other flowers in front of Bldg. 102.  This is a new

orchid tree with all new varieties of orchids on it.  It is right next to a tropical

jungle of "Pink Ginger" plants.

"Anastasia" is a beautiful variety of Phalaenopsis Orchid, which blooms

prolifically and is very hardy.

"Maid Marian" is a very delicate, light lilac Phalaenopsis Orchid.

"Freckle Face" is a variety of white orchid with tiny freckles scattered

across its petals, and with a dotted purple and yellow throat.  It also blooms

with many flowers and they remain for a long time.

"Apricot Ashley."  I think this is the same plant as the one we have seen on Bldg. 5.

But it is interesting here, because there are three stems, and they show the flowers

at different stages of development.  Apparently, when they first open, they are a very

deep copper color, and then as they age, they gradually become lighter.

There are three clusters of "Apricot Ashley."  This group has the mature apricot color

and a number of blossoms.

This is a younger group and is much darker and copper in color.

Three clusters of "Apricot Ashley" Orchid.

"Jennifer Jones" is a very dark purple orchid, outlined in a pure snow white.

"Lovely LaVerne"  orchid continues to bloom into its third month in perfect shape.

"Angelique" is a beautiful purple orchid, with color fading to a cream on the edges.

The throat is a reddish purple.

"Mini Purple Passion Orchids."  They are part of the collection of the man

in Building 58.

"Tawney Tiger" is one of the delightful weeping orchids, with stems that droop

down and flowers opening up all along the stems.

"Daphne's Purple Shower" is an orchid with dozens of mini-blooms opening

along several stems.

"Senorita Ines Impatiens."

This unusual variety is red, edged with a deep purple.  It is quite striking.

This corner of the yard in front of Bldg. 102 is so dense with these "Pink Ginger"

plants that it feels like you are in a tropical forest.  I expect to see monkeys

swinging from vines overhead.  It is lovely.

"Frederika Orchid" is one of the lilac orchids with spots and stripe

and a yellow and purple throat.

"Lady Godiva" is a lovely orchid with big flowers of white covered with small

purple dots as if airbrushed on the surface.

"Flickering"  hangs in a dense jungle-like area with palms and vines,

and the irregular splotches of purple on the white seem to flicker before

your eyes.  The flowers are quite large.

"Midnight Delights" is a mini-dark purple orchid tied to the back of this tree,

and it has sent out two stems, one in either direction to take advantage of

sunlight and moisture.

"Midnight Delights" in a cluster by the tree trunk.

Meanwhile, down below, "King's Mantle" bush is flowering very profusely

right now.  The blue color indeed looks very rich and royal.

This building is trying a variety of annuals, which are more common Up North.

The yellow is a Zinnia, the White is a begonia, and the pink is a Vinca.

This yellow "Profusion Zinnia" seems to be doing the best, I think.  It has bright 

color, hardiness, and good shape.  It is small, perhaps eight inches tall.

These are "Yellow Egg Yolk Pansies."  Pansies have a hard time down here

because of the high temperatures.  They much prefer growing in snow or in a cooler

climate.  The best pansies I have seen are the early spring pansies in

Washington, D.C. sometimes growing in the snow.

 

The "Purple Ground Orchids" are beginning revive after resting for several

months during our "winter."  The big clusters of flowers show they are the newer

variety; the old traditional ones had only a few blossoms.

And the "Magnolia Grandiflora" trees have begun to bloom.  The buds are huge

and fat, and they open into these huge, gorgeous blossoms.  Each flower is about

ten inches in diameter, not quite as large as the "Dinner Plate Magnolias."

"A Magnolia Grandiflora" blossom.  This is about ten inches across.

The huge, 12" blossoms have not appeared yet.

"Strasbourg" is a beautiful midi-orchid of the weeping variety.  The plant here has several

stems drooping down and sporting clusters of colorful flowers.  They are not minis,

but they are not as large as other orchids, so I call them "midis."

A cluster of "Strasbourg" Orchids/

Two more clusters of "Strasbourg" Orchids.

A very exciting  and beautiful day to go walking.   It was 74 degrees.

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On My Walk This Morning 4j

 

The "Orchid Tree" is now in full bloom; every plant has many blossoms,

and there is great variety.  There has never been such a lush display before.

"Ms Dior" is one of the striped orchids, but this one has deep purple veins

and a yellow orange background.  It is quite dramatic.

"Theodora" is a rich, regal, large orchid named after the Byzantine Empress "Theodora."

I don't know the reason for it, but some orchid plants produce only two flowers,

while others produce as many as twenty-five.

"Bill's Angels" is a very pale lilac color with slightly darker veins in the flowers.

It is new this year and is doing very well.

"Raspberry Lemon" is a beautiful pale yellow orchid with a raspberry lip.

Lots more flowers will be coming.

"Apricot Ashley" now has three beautiful flowers, and there are more to come.

The color is a striking contrast to the other orchids on the tree.

"Evangeline" has two pale lilac flowers with yellow and orange throat.

The flowers are large.

"Saraband" is one of the very prolific bloomers.  It now has fourteen flowers,

and there are still a few buds to open.  They seem very hardy and are not

bothered by a heavy rain.

"Angelic Beauties" are a lovely variety of white orchid with just a touch

of yellow in the throat.

The man who planted the Succulent Gardens has now also planted this wonderful

bougainvillea in the porte cochere.  It is deep magenta at the top, and then as it descends,

it becomes lighter and lighter through pinks and soft creams.

The lowest level of the "Mixed Bougainvillea" is the most beautiful,

I think.  The pink, cream, and lilac blossoms are all very delicate.

Deep magenta blossoms are at the top of the Bougainvillea tree.

I do not know if this is one grafted plant or several vines twisted together.

Pink and Cream blossoms on the bougainvillea.

Pale lilac and white blossoms on the bougainvillea.  I think this is the nicest plant

I have seen outside Italy.

"Pink Tabebuia."  The trees are all over the area and loaded with flowers.

There are also lavender, white, and yellow Tabebuias.

"Pink Tabebuia" Tree in the parking lot.

This is by Building #11.  In past years, this plant produced only two flowers

each year; I remember clearly.  This year it has a stem with eight flowers already

and more buds getting ready to open.  It is a beautiful pale pink with lavender veins.

"Cognac Butterflies" is one of the miniature orchids in front of Bldg. 58.

I met the man who had put them out, and he likes to collect miniatures.  So he buys

two or three each year, enjoys them in the house, and then puts them outside on a tree

for the next year and other people to enjoy.

"Lavender Dewdrops" is a very nice orchid by the man with the "Black Shamrocks."

He claims he has had it several years, although I do not recall it from the past.

"Little Buttercup" is a marvelous, large rich yellow orchid.  In this case,

I shot against the sun, which shines through the flowers, not on them.

"Winnie's Waterfall"  is a cluster of deep purple mini-orchids outlined in white.

There are three sets of these; they must be hardy and easy to grow, and the man

likes them.

"Tawney Tiger" is one of the "weeping orchids," whose stems bend down and droop

and the flowers bloom all along the stems.  They move gently in the breeze.

"Amethyst Necklace" is a very deep purple mini-orchid which blooms

prolifically.

"Aunt Hermione" is a very exotically colored orchid.  There are more varieties of

orchids than any other flower.  These have purple petals fading to white along the edges,

with a wine colored and yellow throat.

"Velvet Lilac" has been blooming for over two months now, slowly opening up

its flowers.  It started with one flower, then two, and now we are up to five.

The white center is an unusual pattern for orchids.  This plant is a neighbor

of "Funny Face."

The "Star Jasmine" is doing better than ever.  There are more flowers than ever,

and they are much larger than the Pinwheel Jasmine.  Part of it is good luck.

It is behind a bed of Begonias and the gardeners cannot get at it and

over-prune it and cut off the buds.

Very nice morning walk.

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