Orchids in Full Bloom on my Walk

I walked my Eastern Route of four miles this morning and enjoyed the orchids in front of  

Buildings 5 and 22 in full bloom.  I showed them a few weeks ago as they were getting started.  

They were spectacular this morning.  This is Bldg 5 and Tree #1 with eight orchid plants

 growing on it.  These are plants people have tired of indoors and were ready to throw

 away, but instead they tie them to these trees with fishing line or old panty hose strips. 

 They are not planted in dirt, which will kill them, but their roots absorb moisture from the air. 

A closer view of six of the orchid plants.

"Princess Royal" with raspberry throat

"Choir of Archangels"

The second plant of "Princess Royal"

"Duchess of Gloucester" with a yellow throat

"The Queen Mum"

"Mango Lahsi" is one of my favorites.  The color here is accurate.

"Pink Dimples"

Building #5 and Tree # 2 with six of its ten orchids

"Raspberry Ripple" has grown very nicely

Another "Duchess of Gloucester"

"Daryla" Pinstripes are very prolific

This is part of our colony of Purple Martins, which began arriving from Brazil on Feb. 1.

We now have more than 30, maybe even 50.  They fly around so much it is hard to get an

accurate count.  They are now building nests, and so as each one lands on the front porch

of its condo, it brings a twig or little branch or leaf.  The bird on the bottom left is a male;

he is solid dark purple/black.  The bird above is a female, with a grey body.  The other pair also 

has a female and male.  They are wonderful aerial acrobats and have a delightful song.

They live close to the orchids.  There are three posts with houses like these.

A pair of "Raspberry Lemon" orchids.

 "Old Scarface" now has several blossoms.

"Pinstripe Profusion"

"Cloud Soft" - white with the slightest blush of lilac

"Tiger Lily" Dendrobium.  He has been one of the last to bloom.

"Spotted Martha" now has a number of blossoms.

A Cascade of lavender.  I'm not sure how many plants there are.

"Copper Kettle"  and  "Duchess of Gloucester" White Orchids

"Copper Kettle Orchids"

More cascade of lavender.

"Abigail Adams"

"Cream and Crimson" and "Butter and Wine"

"Orange Delight"

"Harold's Pajamas" just appeared

A trio of "Raspberry Lemon" orchids

"Forgotten Memories"

"Alice Roosevelt"

"Dolly Madison"

It was a lovely walk.

__

Ginter Gardens

Lewis Ginter Gardens are the botanic gardens of Richmond, Virginia.  They are located

about five miles to the northwest of the city and are some of the most beautiful in the U.S.

We visited on a sunny day in April as all the spring flowers were blooming.

These are some of the pictures I took.

The tallest flowers are frittaria /Crown Imperial, and then there are the various shades

of orange tulips.  At Ginter, they do not leave the soil bare below tall flowers, but they cover it with violas, here in yellow and white.  I like that.

The entrance to the Gardens had masses of daffodils, tulips, and peach hyacinths.

Beautiful white daffodils with yellow throats.  This is what Spring should look like.

Double white daffodils with peach throats.  Daffodils come in an amazing variety of

color combinations these days.

Pink hyacinths and yellow violas.

Just behind the Entrance Building is the wishing well and pots of various colored tulips.

An urn filled with Easter Eggs Tulips.

A pot of Dutch Painter Tulips and Orange Taper Tulips.

A mixture of orange and red tulips and yellow and white violas.

In the Cobblestone Courtyard were purple and white tulips and blue violas.

Purple and white tulips and variegated blue violas.

Pale Blue Poppy Anemones

Pale pink Poppy Anemones.

Bright Pink Poppy Anemones

Clusters of White Viburnum on a bush outside the Education Building.

Blue and lavender violas and white daffodils along the path.

Cream colored Parrot Tulips (with fringed petals) and yellow and white violas.

Yellow and white tulip bed with yellow and copper colored violas.

There are acres of beds of flowers and each has a different color theme.  This bed has Double 

Yellow Tulips with White and Copper Violas.  "Double" tulips have twice as many and 

more petals than a normal tulip.

Very large double Exotic Emperor white tulip.

Two very large double yellow Exotic Emperor Tulips.

A new hybrid magnolia.

Exochorda / Excordia / Pearl Bush.  This is often used in bridal bouquets because the

flowers are borne on long green flexible branches.

Close-up of Exochorda

Aruba - a new variety of yellow and red tulip.

 A bed of yellow and copper violas.

Pink Tulips with variegated leaves and blue violas in the Garden of Love.

Orange Violas

A mixture of darker colors; very dark purple tulips and violas.

Double Orange Tulip

Double yellow Exotic Emperor Tulips and Snow White Hyacinths,

with a wonderful aroma.

Red tulips with striped leaves and white pansies.

There is a grove of camellia bushes in the Gardens; this is the pink camellia.

A bed of mixed tulips and daffodils.

White Parrot Tulip and yellow violas.

Dark purple and yellow tulips.

Exotic Emperor double white tulips

Inside the conservatory there is a large collection of orchids.

___

I hope you have enjoyed this virtual visit to the Lewis Ginter Gardens in Richmond.