Our weekend garden tours have always been “weather permitting”, which generally means we don’t do them if it’s raining. Well, we’ve decided that the heat index is a “weather” issue, too, and in excessive heat conditions, it simply isn’t wise or safe to be walking around outdoors for an hour in the hottest part of the day. Not safe for visitors, not safe for staff (recently we’ve had some folks nearly overcome with heat-related issues, including staff). So, during the warmer months here, we reserve the right to cancel a garden tour if we think the heat index is too high for everyone’s safety.
Heliconia rostrata
We have had days with temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s, and heat indices well over 100F. On those days, we won’t imperil anyone’s health.
Now Showing
Among the many tropical exotics on the property, we have some heliconias, and right now our large Heliconia rostrata (“lobster claw”) is in full bloom right out in the parking lot, opposite the entrance to the store and showroom. It’s magnificent! The blue ginger (Dichorisandra thyrsiflora) nearby is blooming, too. This isn’t really a true ginger (different plant family altogether), but the plant resembles many gingers in its growth habit so it has that common name.
And, we have a new alligator in the pond. He’s little and shy, so it could be a while before we get a photo to share. Of course Bob has named him “Wally”, carrying on the tradition of the last few years (his predecessor escaped and had to be rounded up by wildlife officers).
Van. Lou Sneary
Plenty of blooming orchids in the garden right now, including some very fragrant Van. Lou Snearys (right at nose level, too, so you can sample the fragrance for yourself!). The Schomburgkias/Myrmecophilas are still in magnificent bloom all over the garden, and summer is the blooming season for Rhynchostylis coelestis. We have a bunch of them, in several color forms, flowering now. The typical color is white with blue markings, but we also have the pink variety and the pure white form too. This is a wonderful vanda relative, a very compact grower
We hope you can join one of our free weekend garden tours to see all of this, and lots, lots more. Every weekend, weather permitting (read: not raining or too hot) we escort walking tours of Bob’s and Mike’s private garden at 11am and 3pm. This is an escorted walking tour and takes about an hour. No reservation is necessary, but we do ask that you please be here on time (a few minutes before start-time is fine), and that you meet your guide at the bridge. We can also arrange private garden tours for groups, on other days; we do charge a nominal fee for these private tours (they affect our staffing for the day), and they must be arranged in advance. Contact us for more information, and to schedule a private tour for your group.
On the Road
Next week, Bob and Mike are traveling to Medellín, Colómbia with a large group of American Orchid Society judges for the big orchid show there, sponsored by SCO, Sociedad Colombiana de Orquideologia. This show, held at Medellin’s botanical garden, is part of the city’s annual Feria de las Flores. This is one of the largest orchid shows in Colómbia.