Friday 14th February 2020 - Cold and Bright and Orchids

The winds have been making it feel cold, and there has definitely been the chill we associate with winter, rather than the milder weather of late. When taking Barney for his walks, we have tried to avoid the winds, as far as possible. The field edges provided some shelter and down on the promenade wasn’t too bad either. We were compensated on Wednesday by the blue skies and with a sandy beach you could, almost be fooled that this photo was taken in summer. Of course the beach is not always sandy in summer; a sharp easterly at any time of the year will strip away the sand, revealing stones and flints. Storm Dennis is set to sweep across the country this weekend. With the surname Dennis being common in the village, Storm Dennis is a somewhat appropriate name for this area!

They may cost more than a standard bunch of cut flowers but I think orchid plants represent excellent value for money. They bloom for weeks and weeks, providing colour and interest in the home, long after cut flowers have faded and been consigned for composting. Depending on the type, once the flowers have finished, if there is a fat nodule on the main stem, you can cut it back to this point and the plant will then produce another spike of flowers. Watering is minimal, with rain water preferred; in fact they positively hate having wet roots so survive even when subjected to a bit of neglect. I currently have four different types in our conservatory, odontoglossums, phalaenopsises, cymbidiums and a dendrobium. One of the cymbidiums is in flower, the dendrobium and one of the phalaenopsis have flower buds and the other day I notice one of the odontoglossums has thrown up a flowering spike.