Orchid (Phalaenopsis) Flower Spike

UPDATE: 5/11/2022, Eight blooms open (out of 13 buds)

I didn't stake the spike enough. I underestimated how tall it would get, so it arched over in a way that didn't best present the flowers. I ended up using an adjustable ribbon at the top so I could slowly lift the spike a bit each day, and that has worked really well... plus, I think it's kind of pretty!

UPDATE: 5/1/2022

Four blooms open now!

UPDATE: 4/20/2022

First bud starting to open, 4 months after spike first started forming.

UPDATE: 3/26/2022:

 Finally starting to see real bud formation!

Also, I got this pale yellow orchid yesterday at Walmart for $15!

UPDATE 2/19/2022:

Also, I got a second one this Valentine's (2022) and took pictures so I can remember what the blooms look like, ha ha! (I can't remember what the first one will look like because it's been so long since it bloomed!):

 

1/9/2022: My orchid started putting out a bloom spike which I first noticed about a week before Christmas!

This will be the first time it has bloomed since I received it almost two years ago. I re-potted it in August of 2020 into a larger pot, and I've been fertilizing it 2x a year with a slow-release fertilizer.

Pictures from re-potting in August 2020:

First Snow of the Year First Day of the Year!

Got 1" to 2" of snow on the same day my military foster dog came back to me!

Leaf Mold

I was super excited that my new SunJoe leaf shredder arrived a few days early which means I get to play with it all weekend! (Yes, I am a nerd.)

 

I have made leaf mold for years now, but it really does take 3-4 years for it to decompose here in Lubbock, being as hot and dry as it is. 

 

Fully decomposed leaf mold from 2019

 

I can get probably 30 - 35 bags of leaves every year from the groundskeepers at work, but they're just not breaking down fast enough and now I have a backlog! So I decided to step up my game and start shredding them. Plus, the shredded leaves make a really wonderful mulch, and the City of Lubbock hasn't been running their wood chipper lately so we can't get any more free mulch from there for the time being.

 

You can shred leaves with a lawnmower and bag attachment which I did a couple of weeks ago. It was a bit of a hassle, but doable. Since I have A LOT of leaves to shred, I decided to get a dedicated leaf shredder. This one costs $109 on Amazon and uses .095" trim line to shred. 

 

SunJoe leaf shredder

 

You just dump leaves into the funnel on top and it spits out shredded leaves. I tried it first just dumping it into a big blue feed bucket from the farm, but you really do need to attach a bag to keep from generating your own mini-haboob. 

 

 

It's still a dirty job, but the final product is amazing! 

 

 

Composted leaves, or "leaf mold," is about one of the best things you can add to your soil to improve soil structure, increase moisture retention, and enhance the microbiome of your garden and flower beds.

 

These are still last year's leaves that I'm shredding! So I'll use part for mulching in before winter and let the rest break down in my leaf mold bins. And then go take a shower because I am covered in dust!

 

 

Filling the leaf mold bins back up

Be sure to wear safety gear and a DUST MASK!

Shredded leaves make great mulch

Read more about leaf mold

Rock Rose (Cistus spp.)

Rock rose (Cistus spp.) is a 3' to 5' tall blooming shrub. It tolerates heat, drought, and poor soils, but mine do best with some afternoon shade and supplemental water in the summertime.

My neighbor gave me some rock rose seeds 20+ years ago, and they're still reseeding themselves all these years later! So pretty!

 

Rock Rose

Rock Rose bloom

Rock Rose leaves

Rock Rose seeds

Rock Rose seeds

Succulent Collection

I love succulents, and this is some of my current collection (on a stand I retrieved from the dumpster!):

Above: Portulacaria afra 'Variegata' (Variegated Elephant Bush) on the left, Haworthia at top, Echeveria pulidonis at right.

Below: Kalanchoe 'Flapjacks" in blue pot, Echeveria Hybrid 'Miranda' in white pot

Below: Kalanchoe (unknown variety that Mom got from Sandy) about to bloom

Kalanchoe 'Bordeaux'

Below: Aptenia cordifolia 'Variegata' (variegated dew plant) I "stole" from a neighbor! (it's still rooting in)

Saving Sunflower Seeds

These are 2nd generation 'Mammoth' sunflowers, grown from seeds saved many years ago. I planted them along the fence line behind the rock garden to try to mitigate the reflected heat off the fence. They did okay but did show some heat scald. Nonetheless, they bloomed and put on a nice show!

Now they have gone to seed, and some have already exploded all over the planting area.

To collect seeds, cut the head of the sunflowers off and place them in a paper bag to dry. Seeds will pop off on their own and collect in the bag as they dry, and those that don't can be easily brushed loose by hand later.

Some seeds have already popped loose out of these two!

Threadleaf Groundsel

Senecio douglasii (Asteraceae Sunflower family)

I transplanted this "weed" back in the spring from one spot in my yard into the rock garden. I think it's so pretty with its feathery gray foliage and bright yellow flowers. It is not as heavy a bloomer as the Spiny Goldenweed, but after heavy blooms in the spring, it does bloom sporadically throughout the summer.

More info from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension:

Description

Threadleaf groundsel is a many-stemmed evergreen composite in the Sunflower family. The stems are herbaceous, although somewhat woody at the base, and may have variable hairiness.

The stems and leaves are gray-green. The leaves are long, threadlike and divided into three to seven segments. They may be hairy or nearly smooth. Showy yellow flowers emerge from March through November.

Threadleaf groundsel is poisonous to livestock and offers poor to fair forage value for wildlife.

Threadleaf Groundsel flower

Threadleaf Groundsel foliage

Threadleaf Groundsel flower & seed tuft

Habitat

Threadleaf groundsel is a common range plant in Colorado and Utah and south to Texas and Mexico. It is common in the grassland areas of western Texas. Disturbance and overgrazing can cause it to increase in abundance.