Orchids Outdoors in the Summer
 

It's February and the weather channel tells me we can expect another polar vortex in my area but here I am, already daydreaming about potentially bringing my orchids outside for the first time this summer. I'm in Ohio so some of my orchids are a bit grumpy right now. Wow, what a crappy winter we have had!

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...542h3a4joj.jpg

I am very interested to try some of my orchids near my pond to really take advantage of that increased humidity but my mind has turned to the aesthetics things. How do I bring all those little pots outside with out making it look like a nursery sale. :lol:

So my questions for all of you are -
1) How do you set up your orchids outdoors and make it look nice?

2) How do you protect them? - from too much sun, animals, etc?

Please share photos of your outdoor setup! I need a fix of summertime orchid growing. :)

As far as the ones you're bringing out, I have no good suggestions. My summer setup looks like a nursery sale! For protection I have a state of the art area denial system. A large, very territorial Anatolian Shepherd. But the pots for the Spiranthes or other temperate bog orchids could be fully submerged so they wouldn't be visible. You do have bog orchids in your pond right?:biggrin:

Ha ha! Over here we have a cadre of elite patrol cats. In the summer time it looks like a National Geographic episode with fat cats sunning themselves on large rocks as if they were in African veldt. :lol:

Our pond is a bit frustrating as it has sloped sides (not plant ledges) and I have to get a bit creative when I add marginal plants. I've actually been contemplating creating a true bog area. I don't have any bog orchids yet. Do you have any suggestions for some good ones? I've been drooling over some cypripediums and other Ohio native orchids....

Spiranthes cernua or odorata are as easy a plant to grow as Dandelions if you keep them wet enough. Rose Pogonias, Grass Pinks, and pretty much any native Platanthera (or Habenaria) species will all fill the bill. Several are available here:Hardy terrestrial orchids for perennial gardens

Oh wow great site! Thanks for sharing. :)

I have a shared roof area in NYC, so my problems are a bit different. No large animals such as bears thankfully roaming up there, the most dangerous creatures that'll be up there are probably my human neighbors! LOL

I intend to attach a waterproof tag with my name, apt #, and phone to each plant and check on them every day. Luckily, hardly anyone is ever up there, even on beautiful days, it's kind of a shame.

If you need cyps, contact Wayne Robert of Robert's Flower Supply here in Ohio. He is quite the collector and seller of these.
Your pond looks beautiful. I had a pond for thirteen years and now just have a tub garden and a lotus pot. :)
My plants are just set on shelves like some sale, too. I think it is challenging to make potted plants fit into one's landscape. Maybe pretty, decorative pots would help? Some of those crazy gnomes that hold pots? :)

---------- Post added at 01:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:16 PM ----------

I have noticed that as I replace some of the larger orchids with mini or mounted orchids, hanging them looks rather nice. If you have smaller ones, you could get plant hangers an hang them in trees.

Yeah, I live in a fairly urban environment, too. Thankfully we have a nice tall fence to keep out the humans. :lol:

---------- Post added at 02:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:45 PM ----------

Yeah Roberts was one of the sites I was drooling over. I think I need to schedule a visit and do a road trip there. :D

Thanks for the compliment about our pond. I worked my butt off out there for a couple of summers and so now it's a bit healthier for the koi and better looking, too. I'll have to take some better photos this season.

Yeah, hanging orchids is definitely an option! The original landscaper did this really clever thing and planted 2 trees at angle on the hill side, so they extend over the pond a little like an arbor. Orchids would be very cool there. :)

I also thought about creating a shelf with drainage holes on the nearby fence or even looking for some sort of wrought iron stake that could hold a pot and be stuck in the ground?

And hey, if you ever need to divide your lotuses, keep me in mind! I may have hardy white water lily rhizomes to trade. ;)

I've seen several ponds that used submerged Rubbermaid shelf units to provide proper depth for marginal plants.

I'm hoping with all this bitterly cold weather that my lotus survived! I always had a pond when I had my other lotus and even if they were near the surface, they recovered. This year, the lotus tub was in the garage and we'll just have to see. If it survives and recovers, I would be happy to share. First Lady is just lovely and grows amazingly fast (definitely confine it when adding to your pond!).

'Shepherd hooks' are the iron hanging things. You could buy flower boxes to hang over your fence and conceal the orchid pots. Put a little ivy in between (and constantly pull it out of your orchid pots)....