While I know it wont last, I hate the cold. Why can't it just stay around 70-75F or so during the day and 50's at night? And not so much humidity..is that too much to ask? Lol How about little very subtle breezes kicking up now and then while we're at it. Maybe I need to live in Hawaii :) Course its humid there..

Ya wearing the boots, sweaters, and cozy fleece sweats is the one good things about the cold. I guess if it froze hard enough it might help cut diwn on mosquitos for next year.

Bea, I love your Vanda orchid! What other orchids do you grow? Do you have a greenhouse?

~Sjn

I used to enjoy this type of weather, but now that I've lived here for 20+ years this seems to be just too cold! My tile floors feel like ice on my feet and I really don't have too many sweaters or any boots at all. It seems like a waste to buy them because when I finally decide that yes, I do need them, it's back to the heat and humidity. So I spend my time housecleaning and baking instead of gardening.

Sultry, thank you and yes we built a greenhouse last summer, FINALLY. I waited 20 years for it!!! Here is the link: http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4835309/my-new-greenhouse-part-2-done?n=6

I also grow cattleyas, several phals (all currently in spike!!!) and dends (also in spike) and a brassalova that has been blooming for over a year!

I so agree with you about the temps. Although if I had to choose between these cold days and. 80s I'd choose 80s. For me anything lower than 60 feels cold.

Sonni I agree with you too. I only brought two pairs of sweats, a couple jackets and a few sweaters with me when we moved south. No boots.

I forgot that I actually wear boots almost every day for about an hour for outside chores..Bogs boots lol. Waterproof, resealable when I step on bougainvillea thorns or worse, great for farm/garden chores.

Bea, Oh look! I even commented on your gh thread lmao! I must have forgotten :D Very nice. I still have my ghetto gh that I put up in the fall and take down around March or so. I used to grow a lot of orchids. I cut way back when we moved to this house but I am planning to build my collection back up in 2018. Right now I just have a few phals, dends, and a ground orchid lol. I want some Vandas, oncs, and that common coconut orchid (Maxillaria tenuifolia) to start with lol.

I have a bunch of different orchid cactus (I know not really orchids lol) but the half the name tags are lost (long story). Plus xmas cactus. Ditto on dragonfruit come to think of it lol.

I am going to be getting more cactus and succulents this year and working on some type of structure for them to keep the rain off of them. There has to be a way for me to grow them besides under the eaves.

Thanks for the reminder about insects! Not sure if it will get cold enough here in coastal Pinellas to kill very many, but even a brief respite is welcome.

Sultry for several years we used a "ghetto " greenhouse too we rigged in the garage. Worked ok but it's so nice to have a real greenhouse. BTW there is an excellent orchid nursery not too far from me on 16, Jaxma. My two vandas cost me $35 each. They have great quality plants,lots of phals @$10-15. If you want to go sometime let me know…we can go together and you can visit my greenhouse too.

BTW the Jax Orchid Society had its annual show in March…lots of plants for sale. I plan on buying an onc and a Maxxilaria there if I can find them. And I would really like to try a vanilla orchid but they are supposed to be difficult.

For your succulents you can do what I did. I bought a sheet of smokey polycarbonate sheet (they come in 12x2). I secured it on the roof in a part of my veggie garden and there I place plants that resent our summer rainy season, such as my potted rosemary shrub. I use smokey versus clear because it also protects the plants from the brutal mid day sun. I also grow my tomatoes under that.

Thanks I didnt know about that nursery lol. I have seen a few of the Lowes around Jax and Orange Park had some pretty Vandas with long roots hanging. Some also carry tiny bagged orchids still. I used to see those at Home depot but not so much anymore.

The Ace in Mandarin sometimes has good stuff in their greenhouse like orchids, medinilla, and other not so run-of-the-mill stuff. I am prob gonna order the coconut orchid off ebay. I heard they are commonly sold in Home Depots in S. FL.

I think Fairchild also has some orchid vendors during their annual sales etc.

I also would like to try a vanilla orchid.

I ordered some vanilla beans and made my own vanilla. I used some bourbon Madagascar beans and added some Honey Jim Beam in it. Then I did the Tahitian beans with Vodka. The Boubon Jim Bean Honey one is insanely good! They are both good but the bourbon is everyone's favorite.

Hete's some pics of the vanilla. I need to make better labels lol

Sultry some food for thought. I'm very passionate about endangered plants, especially orchids, so please let me explain.

Please don't buy Vandas or any orchids for that matter from big box stores unless you do so within a day or two from when they arrive at the store. I have a relative who works in one of these stores and he has told me how ignorant the garden center employees are about orchids. The people who work there ABSOLUTELY do NOT know how to care for them. Vandas especially rarely survive very long. Consider 1. that the plants are kept inside where it's pretty dry (Vandas require upwards of 80% humidity) and 2. Vandas can be planted in pots but they do much better if their roots are left hanging therefore they must be dunked in water and let the roots soak every day (except during the winter when it's every other day). I have tried to educate store managers about it but they don't listen. Jaxma won't even sell them orchids.

After these plants have been at these stores for a week or two they start going into shock and many don't survive. Yes, they cost less but if your plant dies you haven't saved anything. Buying orchids from big box stores only encourages them to keep selling them. Orchids are not like regular garden plants that can take much abuse and recover. Without the care they require they will look fine for a while and then start going downhill.

At Ace they are cared for much better but for some reason their buyer won't leave name tags in the pots so you know what variety you buy.

About ebay. Be sure you choose a reputable nursery that guarantees they don't sell wild-gathered plants. All orchids are endangered in nature but unfortunately there are still unscrupulous outfits that don't follow the law. The same problem exists with carnivorous plants which I also grow but I refuse to buy either orchids or carn plants from anyone except the most knowledgable and reputable nurseries. If you plan to buy yours from ebay please post at the Orchid forum and ask which outfits to buy from.

I can see why some people avoid the big box stores but I have bought stuff off even the clearance racks, including some pretty sad bromeliads and orchids that made it through okay. If there is something in particular that I want that is rare or unavailable locally and I know of good mail order sources, I will get it that way.

Its always a gamble getting stuff off clearance racks or big box stores but I can say the same for plants I've aquired other ways too lol.

I think if people are beginners to growing stuff it may be more risky to buy stuff there or through mail order especially if its small starts or liners. Its definitely not my first rodeo with most plants so I pretty much can make my own judgements.

This weather is thwarting my plans. Today when I got up it was sunny and nice by the time I had my coffee it started to mist and it still has not stopped. I had planned on getting some of my gardening done. Was really looking forward to it. The news is saying its going to be the same tomorrow and rainy on Wednesday. Then it's going to get cold. I hope everyone in the freeze zone comes out OK good luck.

Sultry I seem to have upset you and for that I apologize. It certainly was not my intent. I am well aware that you are an experienced gardner. My intent was to impart some facts of which you might not be aware. If you are aware of them already that's great!

I don't know if we're gonna freeze or not the weather man first says it is gonna go down to 33° then by afternoon he changes his mind and says 35° or maybe 37° so i put the potted plants in the garage anyway and the old bedsheets on the newbies and the tropicals. Even flipped my garbage cans over on some plants when i ran out of old bed sheets(note to self start looking the thrifts over for cheap sheets). i coulda used a few more for better coverage.