Freesias and an orchid

I also like Freesia's and actually have a planter full of them sitting on my patio table Pamela, you are right the perfume is gorgeous, they were a freebie with some fuschia's that I bought last springtime/early summer, I had about given up on them and thought they were blind, lo and behold they started to flower two weeks back and are gorgeous, have never been able to grow them in the garden, have tried in the past but never get the flowers, hence the reason they are all in the planter..Orchids I've given up on, I can never get them to flower a second time around, did keep two alive for years but never got anymore flowers, I do like them but bringing them here is a nogo....

Sound good that your Orchid had precise growing requirements as there a so many species requiring different conditions. I do well with Cymbidiums which need a cooler temperature to flower well.
Just bought a £1 Phalenopsis from B&Q, flowers were just finishing, but I don't do well with them, because they need a constant temperature and not overwatering. Heho, impulse overtook me!

I love the scent of Freesias too. I have two Orchids left from Mother's day. Whether they'll flower again is another thing. One was white and the other probably white but had that really bright blue either sprayed or had been watered with it. I prefer to see the natural colour. I had a couple of bargains in B & Q at the weekend Siris. I know I shouldn't but sometimes you just can't resist. A Calla looking sorry for itself, perked up now, and a very small flowered Campanula full of flowers but going over. Weird because it was with the indoor plants.

There's nothing like a room scented with Freesias - enjoy!
also I much enjoyed the tantalising glimpses of your room! I tried very hard to guess what the music was but it was too out of focus. Can't help being nosey!
I do talk to my plants sometimes but not as a regular thing. I threatened one that if it didn't flower after several years it was for the compost heap and the following year it put on a great display! Your new orchid sounds interesting - looking forward to a pic when it flowers!

Thorneyside I do so agree with you about artificially coloured flowers, especially the un natural looking bright blue ones. I think your campanula was an indoor variety - I remember being puzzled by that before.

Lincslass, lucky you having a container of freesias on your patio. My parents have been lucky enough to be able to grow them in their borders. I have been told they are very hard to grow so that is why they're expensive.

Siris - hopefully your plant will exceed your expectations! I know about impulse :)

Thorney, I agree about the artificial colours - I don't like them either. We lost our B&Q, sadly. I think our best GC is at Homebase now.

Stera, you made me chuckle about being nosy. I am the same when I see photos, wondering about the backgrounds as well as what the photo is of.

To put you out of your misery, the music is something called Short'nin' Bread. Apparently something traditional but I don't know it yet because it's the next one I've got to in a book I've been playing through that I haven't before. I tend to grab secondhand music when I come across it if I can afford to.

And for your further interest, the figurine of the violinist was a present from my 2 children when they were little, from a school fayre. I had seen it and considered getting it but then decided I didn't want any more things that I needed to dust.... but I have also been buying other musical figurines from charity shops. The piggy ones remind me of some pig stories I used to like as a child (and I still have some of them and still re-read them) - Sam Pig by Allison Uttley.

The ocarina was a present from my daughter a couple of Christmases back. It has a lovely tone, but unfortunately does not play a full octave. It is really lovely to handle too, the size, shape and weight of it, and so beautifully detailed and glazed.

The honey bear was a present from a friend and it plays the honeytree song from the Winnie-The-Pooh original movie. The Belgian chocolate biscuits I won in a raffle. And in the foreground of that is some of the clutter of craft stuff that my table is covered with. Over the chairs are embroidered cloths that my granny did and were given to me when she died.

With the orchid you see some of my cow collection. That started as a family joke but I am quite fond of it. And when we ever play Monopoly at my house my playing piece is a little toy cow. And my son's is quite a large toy dinosaur that sits in the middle of the board with its tail pointing to the space that he's on. Unfortunately, my daughter no longer likes playing Monopoly, but there are some fun memories.

The jigsaw is called The Alphabet Shop and has something like 1500 pieces. We did it several times together before I glued it as the pieces were getting worn. In the picture there are 10 things beginning with letter A, 10 with B and so on right through to Z! There was a list included in the box which I glued onto the back.

And the photo is my daughter's first graduation. I have to say first because she's had 3 more since! After her bachelors she did a masters, and a teaching degree, then she won the uni scholarship to do phd. She was all done and passed except for they wanted her to upgrade the book, and she's been working and didn't have time by the deadline, so they've given her a second masters. So she was almost Doc but didn't quite get there but she has the capability, certainly, just not the time. I am so proud of her, and she is happy with what she is doing so that is great.

I love freesias. I grew some from seeds once. They were all yellow but had a beautiful scent.

Good luck with your orchids :)

Wow Pamela - You have describled lots of things I didn't notice so I'm going to go back and look at it all again with the guide book! I know shortnin' bread! I think it will be pretty easy to play. More later.

Lovely interesting blog, my grand daughter got her Masters last year, going for a Doctorate now. Its wonderful all the opportunities young people have now that we never knew. The different jobs on the 'Eggheads' programme fascinate me. When I was 14 the top line was a shorthand typing course. My parents had to pay. I was the only one from the village school who could take it.
The fathers worked at the quarry for £2.50 a week.
Its worth checking charity shops for music. I got 5 pieces yesterday for £1, better than £17 each !