July Heat

[MikeM]

It is too hot to do much outdoors, except take some photos.

[MikeM]

The damage from last winter's cold is just a memory. The pond went over 80F today.

[andy]

very nice Mike.....Beautiful surroundings as if you're in a Bromeliad nursery. Orlando is in full Summer.......Now I see how you keep your pond water temp at 78-80...its under shade cloth.... My water is at steady 83 for weeks......

[kingkong]

I agree Mike! Color is a wonderful thing.

[DrCreosote]

We've been able to keep our water temp at a steady 80 degrees. The above ground pond has an insulating layer under the liner and we keep shadecloth over it. Just about the only thing I do outside in this heat is walk to or from the car, or feed the fish.

[kntry]

Mike, your yard is gorgeous!

Can you leave the Brom's, Orchids and Angel Wings outside year round? I have to bring all mine in for the winter.

[lypope]

Mike, your yard is gorgeous!

Can you leave the Brom's, Orchids and Angel Wings outside year round? I have to bring all mine in for the winter.

I'm sure he can; Florida is more temperate than coastal SoCal and I had all of the above outdoors all year round. I think I brought the orchids in once in 30 years when it got down to 40 degrees one night; all the orchids except the gazillion cymbidiums all came in overnight.

Gorgeous garden, Mike - I'm especially jealous of the epidendrums. (I'm quite sure I spelled that wrong...)

[koifishgirl]

Sumbudy works there butts off. That is just beautiful Mike. Are you skinny?

[Meg]

2nd post, third pix....what is the stand of trunks?

is that big hanging plant a night blooming cerius(sp?)?

every thing is BEAUTIFUL!!! love your shiro! wish I could grow orchids ...

[MikeM]

I'm glad folks enjoyed a break from serious koi stuff. The aesthetics created by plants add to the pleasure of a koi pond, even if there are no plants in the pond.

Sandy: Most winters nothing special is needed to be done to protect the plants. We are fortunate to be in the city and in an area with a warm micro-climate. Outlying areas get more chill. The shadehouse gets covered with plastic in late December so a protected space is ready in case of a freeze. When one is predicted, the most rare plants are moved. The rest have to take what Nature serves up. On the plus side, there is just enough cold to raise camellias.

Meg: That is a clump of fishtail palms. They suffered this past winter, but no permanent damage. There are some epiphytic cactus in the shadehouse, but they barely show in the photos. I think you are referring to one of my treasures: Microsorum longifolia, an epiphytic fern that has grown on itself over the years and now produces thick, tentacle-like leaves over 3-feet long.