I was given a hardy orchid (or bletilla striata) as a pass along from my mother about 8 years ago. They've always done pretty well but I've never had a year this good. A late frost usually burns the leaves and the blooms that followed were never anything to crow about. But this year with the mild, moist winter ... oo la la!
Do you have some moist semi-shade in an area to receive some protection from a late frost? If so, this is a plant worth having.
How Green are You?
I'm greener than some, but not as much as I'd like to be! That's what I learned from the Greendex Survey. Now, unlike Garden Punks or our dear friends the Farleys, I don't think I'll ever get down to 5 kWh/day or running off solar panels (remember that big tree?). But I know that I could switch my computer off at the surge protector to stop the phantom drain and walk to pick up the kids from school more.
Luckily, being a vegetarian helps as does living in Central VA where we have delicious local fruit and vegetables (and tofu!) for most of the year. We decided not to grow veggies ourselves this summer since we belong to a great CSA (we do have alpine strawberries, blueberries, and figs in the garden). Instead we'll be focusing on putting in a great fall/winter veggies garden in August and munching on yummy homegrowns during the "off season."
Green it up, folks!
