Apparently the Latin name is in dispute, but yellow dancing ladies probably describes this one better than Oncidium anyway. The main flowering for this is late October but this year it’s flowered well in August. It’s an odd cultivar, with a twisted mass of pseudo bulbs and twisted leaves, and like its purple relative it clambers away from its origin and needs frequent re-setting. Bright indirect light, plenty of water, go light on fertilizer, and cold tolerant to 5C.
Read MoreMonth: August 2012
Dendrobium kingianum
One of the last flowers of Winter, this Dendrobium is sweet like snowdrops. It’s a rock orchid native to the Sydney area, but grows in sand or bark or whatever. Dropping shoots is its specialty, so you could multiply a plant to completely cover a balcony in a few years. Comes in whites and pinks. Give it plenty of morning or dappled sun.
Read MoreCoriander
Leaves, seeds, roots, even pretty flowers. It’s not such a pity when your coriander bolts to flower, just time to sow some more.
Read MoreEpidendrum
The toughest of orchids, these don’t care about watering, feeding or potting mixture, and grow in full sun and heat against a North wall. They’re also good for sharing pots with deep rooted plants (I’ve got them with Strelitzias and Cordylines). What’s more they seem to flower continuously, especially noticeable in Winter. I picked these up as cuttings that had been left out to share in Paddington. They are a richer red than the photo possibly shows, and a few people have commented on the intense colour lately. The canes…
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