‘Mi Amour’

Odontonia Papageno ‘Mi Amour’, from the orchid family

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Before the bloom: Paphiopedilum Hsinying Lady Duck Lady Isabel ‘788’ x adductum v. anitum ‘#13’

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Orchid

Unidentified Orchid photographed in the Conservatory at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Spathoglottis ‘Golden Passion’

Spathoglottis ‘Golden Passion’, from the Orchid family, photographed in the conservatory at the U.S. Botanic Garden

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

‘Miyazaki’ Spotted Toad Lily

I planted two Toad Lily ‘Miyazaki’ plants (Tricyrtis hirta ‘Miyazaki’) in my garden last year and almost missed them blooming this fall. I photographed these blooms at Green Spring Gardens this morning. These unusual perennial plants originated from Japan and the blooms resemble orchids. These self-seeders bloom in late summer to early fall, prefer part sun, are drought resistant, and thrive in Zones 4-8.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

‘Blue Mystique’ Moth Orchid

I photographed this ‘Blue Mystique’ Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis) in the conservatory at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden this afternoon. Silver Vase introduced the “world’s first true blue orchid” in January of this year. These blooms, which start out as white, are not painted, sprayed or hybridized. It gets its color through a patented process that induces the blue color in flowers. The process takes anywhere from 48-90 hours to induce the color into the flowers.

While I do love naturally blue flowers, I’m not so sure about this one yet. I had hoped it would possibly be a hybrid, but it is simply chemically altered. Silver Vase’s website notes that the chemical elements are “naturally derived and environmentally conscious.” The buds are closed at the time they are treated, so as the orchid grows, a new stem can bloom either white flowers or a range of blue hues from azure to sapphire to royal blue and every shade in between. What do you think?

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

I’m looking for something in red…

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.