26.1822° N, 80.1334° W

The past week and a half have been very sunny and humid without cooling (hydrating) rain. Wart fern fronds are getting seared. Creeping fig is getting burned on the wall. I've begun 'double-watering'. Dump a few liters on a large pot as much as possible without flooding the neighbors. Then, come back in 15 or 20 mins and bathe with less water but enough to keep the roots wet and able to absorb a drink. My mornings begin with coffee and the 3 gal orchid sprayer. Vandas, schomburgkia, dendrobes, everybody needs a morning shower. The v. tessellate 'wink' and Ascda John de Blase x V tessellata (ala Dr. Mote) purchased at Fairchild last year are healthy, but no blossoms. Orchids require controlled negligence. They need their space. 

The Intelligent Plant

Have just gotten around to reading  Michael Pollan's essay on the possibilities / examples plant consciousness, in the 12/23/2013 of The New Yorker. Too much information for my small brain to offer a synopsis. I did want to throw my hat in the ring with the other research being done and offer my experience as a non-scientist, conducting anti-rigorous experiments with my custodials. They have an emotional hold over me. I am their puppet, serving up food and water and care daily. I seem to be quite susceptible to this floral heart/mind control. My mind is numbed when I go into the garden, like a hit of some sort of opiate. Happy, joyous and free

I've  been putting one sort of food or another in most of my spraying lately. MiracleGro and / or seaweed tea. Seaweed tea and SuperThrive. Tonight I'm steeping some ass-ugly smelling fish emulsion and seaweed overnight in the hot humid air (to allow bacteria to come to life?) to spray in the morning.

The orchids' growth reflects the heat and humidity of late. I haven't experienced the growing season with many of them and I'm delighted to see new rhizomes, roots and leaves appearing.

Cat on a hot tin roof

I'm coming up on my 4th year anniversary of this blog and I can't say I've ever sat and written a post sitting in the garden. I'll tell you, imaginary reader, the here and now. It's been very hot lately, well into the mid 90s and no rain for the past week(ish). 7:20P EST and we're securely in the upper 80's and are wrapped in 75-85% humidity. I have to stay out of the direct sun, my custodials do not . As long as they have some moisture so they're able to transpire, they're ok. There is a warm, salty breeze coming off of the ocean tonight which makes sitting out pleasant.

Some of my recent efforts at mounting:

Den. Aggregatum 'Green Elf' x Den Aggregatum 'Yellow Velvet' --from home depot

Oncidium Apliatum a central american species-- from home depot

ÄPPLARÖ

A handsome teak table for the bougainvillea bonsai

$30 IKEA

Been very busy at the office for past week, but not too busy to mount several orchids on pretty weathered driftwood. 

Much more later. 

lights fade

My garden evaporates as the work required to keep the floor clean and the lines neat weigh heavily on this weekend gardener's shoulders.

Nonessentials are being evacuated.  The large specimens will hold things together and provide cover for hanging orchids.