Specifically, flowers on my deck—and lovely surprises they've been, too. The first one, a Cymbidium orchid (the name meaning "boat-shape"), is a plant I brought home after my mother died in 2008. As far as I can recall, this is the first time it's ever bloomed. I may be wrong—but if it did bloom in the past, I've forgotten. What a pleasure it's been, watching the flowers pop open, which they started to do just the other day after several weeks of thinking about it. There are 52 species in this genus. I can't identify which one this is, but that's okay. I'm happy just to gaze at it and to know my mother also gazed at it—and who knows, maybe even my father as well, since he was the Cymbidium grower to begin with. If that's the case, this plant (or some version of it) has been around for decades. Is that even possible?
The second one is a Pachypodium (meaning "thick foot"), a genus I encountered—and fell in love with—in Madagascar. Pachypodia are succulents, further defined by being "pachycaul," or having enlarged trunks designed to store water during times of drought or when their roots become exposed, and by having spines. There are 25 species, 20 of which are found in Madagascar. I have tried to grow Pachypodia, but they're tricky: my climate is on the edge for them, or maybe my soil mix isn't right, and although I've managed to coax leaves out of the three species I've experimented with, two ultimately declined to thrive. But one of them—I believe it's a P. baronii—has hung in there, and a few weeks ago it rewarded me with little red flowers! I was so delighted! Yesterday, I ordered two more plants (different species), and I'm going to try, try again. I hope they will be encouraged by their happy neighbor.
Here are a few other pachypodia. Perhaps you can see why I'm enamored with them. They're so unique.
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| P. horombense |
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| P. densiflorum |
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| P. lamerii |
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P. rosulatum gracilius, in situ in Madagascar
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