When do you put your Orchids outside in the UK

[Triffid]

Due to the chaos of life I missed out on this weekend just gone... Was out most of the weekend and wasn't willing to leave the plants unattended (the garden is to easy to infiltrate).... Shame

Nice to know you guys had good success though!

[Nic100]

Yeah I like to be here to supervise. I didn't want to leave anything out if I wasn't around - I have a couple of visiting cats who like to pee in the clematis!

[RosieC]

I must admit I leave mine on some high-ish selving even when I'm out. My back garden does get cats and birds but they don't seem interested in my 'chids.

[Triffid]

I have a cat that panics when the Seagulls are about, local kids who think because our garden wall is knee height that it means that can use it as a through way, a local Jack Russell who likes to find my cat and a mystery sunflower stealer

Sounds worse than it is

[Nic100]

In fairness, my clematis has the biggest flower it's ever seen so maybe I have to be thanking the cats!
I'm hoping for more good weather this weekend so I can get them outside again. They really did seem to take off!

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by RosieC

Oh and I've put the Cym out as well. That's not with the others, it's actually sitting in it's pot out amongst the permenant garden plants. It's in an outer wooden pot which seems to deter the slugs so far (I know they are arround as I have seen them on other plants). It's in full sun at least half the day if not more, but seems quite happy there... been there two weeks including this last week of really really hot sunny weather. It's showing no sign of sun damage and is growing like crazy.

The Cym can take full sun all day long with no problem if you get it used to it. In fact, that's what mine needed to finally bloom, and Lyon is much lower down than the UK! Sun 1/2 the day just wasn't enough the previous years. Mine stayed out until temps hit freezing at night, which was late november last year.

I miss all my orchids, this summer they have to stay cooped up in the apartment with my mom instead of enjoying the summer at the countryhouse with me. Not having orchids over here is tough!

Btw, I don't think I ever saw your completed GH. I assume you posted some photos on OB, but since I didn't log on for over 2 months I missed them.

[Triffid]

Originally Posted by Nic100

In fairness, my clematis has the biggest flower it's ever seen so maybe I have to be thanking the cats!
I'm hoping for more good weather this weekend so I can get them outside again. They really did seem to take off!

I did hear from some weird science documentary/program (at some point) that diluted wee does act as a fertilizer, and concentrate as a weed killer Amazing the things you learn over time.
So you may be right, perhaps the cats have been killing the weeds at the base of the plant and fertilizing at the same time.... It's a thought
If you want to deter the Cats though, use a cheap water pistol. Surprisingly effective.

On the subject of weather, for those in the UK who don't already, check out the BBC News site and the Weather Link. It can provides a 5 day Forecast for you local area.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by camille1585

The Cym can take full sun all day long with no problem if you get it used to it. In fact, that's what mine needed to finally bloom, and Lyon is much lower down than the UK! Sun 1/2 the day just wasn't enough the previous years. Mine stayed out until temps hit freezing at night, which was late november last year.

I miss all my orchids, this summer they have to stay cooped up in the apartment with my mom instead of enjoying the summer at the countryhouse with me. Not having orchids over here is tough!

Btw, I don't think I ever saw your completed GH. I assume you posted some photos on OB, but since I didn't log on for over 2 months I missed them.

Thanks on the info about the Cym Camille, I put this out when the weather was still quite cloudy every day (because I knew it could take the temps) so it has got used to the sun steadily as the days have got brighter. I actually noticed the other day that the sun position through the day is now such that it gets sun from arround 10am to arround 5pm and that could get longer as we aproach mid-summer. It seems happy, so I'm glad to hear they can take that.

I never did post pics of my greenhouse. I always intended to, but they are still just shoved in a file on my PC and not even sorted/named. I have pics all through the process so I will have to get them posted. We fitted an auto-opener to the vent just a few weeks back and that was really worth it, to save me worrying if I've gone out and forgotten to open the window on a hot day.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by Triffid

local kids who think because our garden wall is knee height that it means that can use it as a through way

We've had a similar problem in the front garden. It used to be a completely open are of grass on a curve, so kids would just take the straight line accross our grass instead of the curve of the path. We then planted shrubs arround the edge to try and discorage it and when they were small they got kicked as the kids just carelessly walked their old route as though the plants weren't there. Now the shrubs are about knee hight, but also quite wide and it seems to have stopped them at last because it's now more effort to step over them.

I would never think of putting my orchids in that bit of garden though... they all go behind the 6" fence in the area at the back. We only have a 4" fence between us and two neighbours, but the 6" fence surrounds the three gardens so it is relatively secure.

[Triffid]

Originally Posted by RosieC

We've had a similar problem in the front garden. It used to be a completely open are of grass on a curve, so kids would just take the straight line accross our grass instead of the curve of the path. We then planted shrubs arround the edge to try and discorage it and when they were small they got kicked as the kids just carelessly walked their old route as though the plants weren't there. Now the shrubs are about knee hight, but also quite wide and it seems to have stopped them at last because it's now more effort to step over them.

I would never think of putting my orchids in that bit of garden though... they all go behind the 6" fence in the area at the back. We only have a 4" fence between us and two neighbours, but the 6" fence surrounds the three gardens so it is relatively secure.

I am trying to do something similar. Currently trying to collect a variety of spiky and fast growing bush style plants. Wouldn't mind so much people passing through our garden if they could just avoid leaving litter and damaging the plants. But what can you do, at least it's a great excuse for getting more plants. Besides I'd look like a crazy person if I stay in the front garden 24/7 like some sort of animated scare crow


A little windy today but I may try and get a couple of plants out this afternoon. Selected one mutant Phal and one mutant Dend.