Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Shady business ending in a bit of a stink

A bit of a peek in our shadehouse:


These are Crucifix Orchids I do believe.  Very hard to photograph I found, so have included a few photos of them at different angles.


I love Orchids, theyre tough plants as far as I'm concerned.  All I give them is a monthly drink of worm wee and the very occasional banana skin.  They are all in their original soil - some of it as old as 6 years.



Here's another view inside the shadehouse:


A closeup of that delicate Zygocactus flower:



All sorts of containers are utilised... colanders do a great job for the bromeliads:


Fuschias thrive in there, much to our delight:



Meet "Old Smelly" who has a ... shall we say, body odour problem.  In other words - it Stinks!


... a closeup of the stinking, smelly, flower - so pretty in its stinkdom isn't it!!


On that rather smelly note I shall leave you ;D)
Thanks for taking the time to visit...  I will get back to visiting everyone - slowly catching up on what you've all been doing over the past month.

Cheerio for now and I hope life is being kind to you,
Susan :D)

40 comments:

  1. "Not all scented flowers smell sweet. Some, like those of voodoo lily, smell like rotting meat. Sweet of foul, the smell's purpose is the same--to attract pollinating insects. I guess some bugs are just classier than others." -Grumpy Gardener

    Your green thumb is outstanding!!!

    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
    http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

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    1. Thanks Linda - I do appreciate your comments... Mother Nature is full of surprises ;D)

      I liked the quote from "Grumpy Gardener"

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  2. Oh the stinky flower is beautiful hard to believe. All your flowers are beautiful. Life is good for me I do hope all is well with you as well. Hug B

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    1. The flowers are quite velvety too B... very intricate and lovely - just don't inhale while near them.. lol!

      Am so glad to hear you're doing well, you've had quite a few adventures of late. Thanks and yes, life is beaut for me too :D)

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  3. wow! really neat blooms! you do a great gardening job - worm wee. :)

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    1. Many thanks Theresa, the garden always amazes me with its resilience.
      The worm wee is extra rich this year for some reason :D)

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  4. Oh wow all those plants. Since vaste amounts of my garden are in shade I really should try some of these plants ... not the stinky one though.

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    1. We're the opposite in our garden, always looking for and creating shady spots!
      It's amazing what can thrive under even dappled shade as against the sunny spots. I enjoy bromeliads too and they don't even need soil ... just something to hold them in a pot! Cheers Joan :D)

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  5. Gorgeous collection of plants. Thanks for sharing.

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  6. Fantastic plants, beautiful colours. I am greeting

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  7. wow...old Mr. Stinky is such as odd duck....

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    1. lol... sure is, and the flowers disappear as quickly as they came :D)

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  8. Old Smelly is gorgeous Susan! Wouldn't you know that an extraordinary plant such as 'smelly' would smell so bad! I love your orchids and zygocactus! I think your shadehouse is doing a 'stand-up' job Susan! Hugs to you!♥

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    1. Hi Suzanne and thanks for your comments. Yes, the shadehouse has created a whole new area for the plants... saw a frog pop up out of a pot yesterday. Took photos of course!

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  9. I loved this post Susan...those flowers are all so beautiful. The 'stinky one' is very interesting and beautiful in its own way too.

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    1. Thanks Maria, I am always intrigued when the stinky one flowers - it's a pretty one all right :D)

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  10. Gorgeous shadehouse plant/flower collection. They all look so happy and vibrant.

    Brilliant use for a colander, too. Must remember that. Our poor bromeliad is really struggling.

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    1. Hi Vicki, I found an old wire fruit bowl in the Op Shop - it's adapted nicely to a hanger as well!

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  11. Pretty blooms....I love a garden with special personality!!

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  12. Hi Susan

    Lovely photos of pretty flowers.

    I want to wish you and your family a
    very Happy Easter
    I hope that it will be a peaceful and joyous time
    for you all.

    Take care

    x Fiona

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    1. Lovely to have you visit Fiona. I've been away from blog for awhile, but it's good to be back. Thank you for your kind wishes :D)

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  13. Orchids are truly amazing, I never cease being fascinated by the shapes and sizes.

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    1. Yes they are Jenny, and quite tough plants too (well, the ones I have are... there are probably delicate-pretties that need special handling no doubt!)

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  14. I have a few orchids that I was given but they have never flowered a second time. What am I doing wrong? Love yours.

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    1. Thanks Diane, I truly don't know much about orchids - except that they do like a bit of filtered sun during the day. When I kept mine in constant shade (as on a the verandah), they didn't bloom as much. Moving them down to the shadehouse (70% shadecloth), they put on a great show. Hope that helps :D)

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  15. Ola querida Susan,que beleza de postagem.As fotos das flores estão lindas demais.Uma boa noite e meu grande abraço com saudades.SU

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    1. Many thanks Suze. So sorry I haven't been visiting lately. I just got too involved with life outside the blog, plus my painting. All is good and I shall enjoy getting back to everyone over the next while.

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  16. Hugs my friend Thinking of you B

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  17. Beautiful flowers, magical colours:) I am greeting

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    1. Greetings Zielona, lovely to have you drop by to enjoy our flowers :D)

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  18. when your not here, i miss you but i know that you are somewhere, having fun!!

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    1. Yes that's right Debbie. Lots going on here, bits and pieces of life happening. All is fine and, yes, I've been getting stuck in.
      I can see you've been keeping busy enjoying your surroundings - must pop over and catch up again :D)

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  19. Magnificent blooms you have there Susan, thanks for sharing them. I have seen photos of the stinky flower but didn't know it was pretty yet odious :)

    Happy Day to you,
    Denise
    An English Girl Rambles

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    1. Hello Denise, thank you and I noticed the other day the stinky plant has put out another "limb" or something - will be interesting to see what it is. Doesn't look like a flower spike really ?? :D)

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