This is my entry for The Bloggers Community Photo Challenge. In 2004 Far Guy became the Native Orchid specialist at our greenhouse. ( Anything to make him stop growing sweetcorn in six packs! ) He researched them, and ordered some bare root native plants that were grown in a laboratory here in Minnesota. Tissue Culture grown orchids. He applied for a permit from the State, and gained quite a following, they even featured him in several local newspapers. Native Orchids are hard to grow, but he had some success with the Yellow Ladyslipper or Cypripedium parviflorum. In the fall of 2004 he planted some in one of our display gardens. I was unsure of what the results would be. 
Low and behold on May 13, 2005 we had a fuzzy bud, but just one.
On May 27, 2005 we had just one bloom.
May 27, 2006 we had two blooms!! In 2007, I missed their blooms completely..it is called being a good grandma!
June 08, 2008 we had six blooms!!
I took this photo on May 14, 2009 and I counted seven fuzzy buds (one is really tiny)..so maybe this year we will have seven blooms..we just will have to wait and see:)
This is an awesome project. I will have to look that up and give it a try. Busy trying to get my veggies in this weekend. I hope you have a productive Holiday Weekend as well.
ReplyDeleteWOw, how exciting. Beautiful flowers, glad you were able to record the experience over the years...seems like a perfect project for this challenge.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing it with us!
Marie
this was one of the first topics i thougth of for the photo story, but i didn't have pix of all the stages. great job! :)
ReplyDeleteHow very cool! Pays off to keep at something you love! :) Nice photo story.
ReplyDeleteI love orchids Connie, these are really pretty. Thanks for sharing your story with us! Jeannette xx
ReplyDeleteHow cool! Love how you did that...dates and all...i'm impressed!
ReplyDeleteNancy
Now I understand your icon. I'd always thought it was some kind of fruit!
ReplyDeleteLucy
that's what i was going to do too but the dern things haven't opened yet--so I didn't do one..whaaaa
ReplyDeleteI love the lady slipper I've never had one of those