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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