There were times I purchased an orchid plant with sprays of delicate and exotic blooms, enjoyed them for a while, sometimes for a few months, only to have the plants eventually die off. I didn't know why. Never before had I been able to bring them to bloom again after the initial flowering until I discovered a few secrets to caring for my orchids. I now have many new blooms from plants I've had for quite some time. I'd like to share what I've learned with you.

First of all, the orchid plant needs to be repotted, the sooner the better. Because they are a plant that grows on the sides of trees, not in the ground, they need a bark mixture as a medium to continue growing. This can be purchased at your local nursery. Take it out of the moss, trim off any black and dead roots and place them in a container (I like large plastic glasses) that have been scored with an exact knife to allow water to run through and drain. The orchids don't like to sit in water but need moisture to keep the roots healthy. You can put some moss back around the base to keep it together and hold in some moisture.

Second, I use Seaweed Extract as a fertilizer. Half a capful in about two cups of water works well. It's organic and all your plants will love it. It can be purchased at your local nursery as well.

Third, when watering, put it in a bowl in the sink to catch excess water (I like to use warm water) and let the water drain out. I usually do it two times just to make sure all the roots get a good drink. Then put it in the sink for about an hour to let any excess water drain out. Return it to its pot and enjoy. I water about once a week but it might be prudent to check every few days for dryness.

Hope you find this information helpful. With a little know how and lots of love your orchids will continue to grow and bloom for you, even in the dark winter months when their brightness can lighten up the interior of your home.

The garlic this year was outstanding in size and flavour.   Once the garlic is peeled I use a mini chopper to coarsely chop up the cloves.   Then it is stored in jars wrapped in plastic bags in the fridge.   Garlic stored this way can last all winter, fresh and pungent.   You just have to scoop out a spoonful when you're cooking.

I've been juicing almost daily with fruits and veggies from the garden.  Today I'll use:  three apples, strawberries, raspberries, carrots, celery, cucumbers, kale and two limes.   I find that a lemon or lime really adds zing to the juice.   The only problem I have is that it's quite often gone by the time I look in the fridge.   My husband drinks his and then mine too if I'm not quick enough.

After severely pruning this rose last fall it came back blooming this summer.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!"

The yew wood tree is bent right over with snow.

We have four large Christmas Cacti that we always put out on the deck in the spring through to summer.  About two weeks ago after bringing them indoors they began to bloom.  These two are gracing my living room with their radiant color. 

We decided to try something a bit different this year with the salmon that was caught this summer.  First the salmon was fileted, then it sat in a dry brine for 12 hours, the dry brine was carefully wiped off and the salmon sat in the cooler for another 12 hours.  Then it was smoked using dry and green alder doughnut mixed  for just two hours.  Once it was in the sterilized jars we added a teaspoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of maple syrup.  At that point we processed it in a pressure cooker for 90 minutes at 10 lbs pressure.  Yummy treats for the winter.

So many of our flower beds are overflowing with growth that the time has come  to eliminate some of the perennials that just don't have room to grow any more.  In this bed we took out a Mock Orange shrub, a lilac tree and a Twig Dogwood shrub.  Now there is breathing room for the ever growing rhododendrons.  I've been busy trimming the rhodos and clipping them to shape them a bit.  We moved two large orange leaf rhododendrons that were not getting enough water where they were.

These delicate little fall flowers were a gift from my friend, Lynne.  So happy to see them bloom.  

We are clearing out the tomato plants from our vegetable garden and hothouse so we can prepare our garden for the fall as well as to avoid getting blight, which ruins the tomatoes, on the remaining few plants. There are some tomatoes that are still not quite ripe enough so we placed them on paper in our basement.  Despite no sunshine, if they are covered with paper, they will ripen quite rapidly and can be used in sauces and salsas.