Cymbidium for Christmas

Today, a few days before Christmas, the weather turned very cold. The high today is expected to be -6F. Like other fool-hardy Minnesotans I ventured out to the greenhouse to fulfill my appointed duties. However, when I arrived there, only Curator J.. was in the building. He asked if I would stay and do a bit of sweeping, which I did for about two hours. There wasn’t a lot of debris under the benches, but every bench had a little bit. So the benches in all four collection rooms needed attention. I also swept the workroom.

I have to state the floors of the greenhouse look much tidier since J’s arrival, thanks in part to a leaf blower recently introduced to the greenhouse. He has made a significant effort to get pots up off of the floors onto low benches. The floors clearly are being washed more frequently compared to before his arrival. It is important for the greenhouse because it reduces the biomass on the floor for the proliferation of pests and fungus, which then spread to the plants in the collection, particularly if their pot is sitting directly on the floor.

Next week, I’ll contact A...to ensure there is enough for me to do on the 29th.

A plant that was particularly beautiful today was a cymbidium orchid in full bloom. The plant was approximately 4 feet in diameter and height. There were several flower spikes, each bearing half-dozen open blossoms, and as many buds. The blossoms were each 2 inches in size, with pale green petals bearing reddish-brown spots. The blossoms were not particularly showy, blending into the background foliage. But they were perfectly formed on closer inspection. Gorgeous!

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