My Grow Area in South Florida

[Birdwoman]

My apologies; I am just learning how to post pics here and it is more complicated and time-consumimg than I had hoped. If this goes well I'll post more.

Wow! It worked. The pic above is my back fence grow area. I have a lot of different genera trying to exist in the same habitat. This spot is shaded almost all day, but each specific spot gets direct sun for 1 to 1.5 hours a day between 11AM and 1PM, meaning bright midday sun which is a nono, or so I've heard. I have had most of the plants here for less than a year, so I haven't had time to kill them yet. I let the plants tell me where they want to be through leaf color etc. Successes so far are the Oncidium on the white stand in the foreground; they are very happy and low-maintenance outside in my yard. I am also happy with the shomburgkia; they have doubled in size in one year and there is a spike on one. Trouble spots: the spathoglottis whatever on the left has incredible sunburn, but the leaves underneath look good so we'll see if it can adjust.



Closeup of Schomburgkia spike; it just started.



I like the look of plants attached to the trees and integrated into the landscape, although the plants will be subject to bugs and the whims of nature. I'm really impressed by the beautiful individual plants that some of you indoor growers have, but I have to accept that I won't get that outside. The rest of my little yard is mostly native South Florida shrubs, because I want to attract songbirds, butterflies and other small wildlife, and have the orchid collection as a highlight. I am trying to learn about the micro-climates in my yard and also about the culture of the different genera, and find them appropriate homes. Sometimes I have a spot that needs an orchid, and an orchid that needs a spot!



One of the trees in my yard, West Indian Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) with orchids and bromeliads attached.


Last one for now. Birdbath with mini Phal underneath.