The Merry Weather Garden Club met on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 and traveled to Hills and Dales, the historic home of Fuller E. Callaway in LaGrange, and toured the estate’s greenhouse. The program was arranged by host Erma Jean Brown. Jo Phillips of Warm Springs and the horticulturist at Hills and Dales led the tour plus talked about orchids.
First constructed in 1916, the greenhouse is today maintained much as Alice Callaway kept it. Mrs. Phillips knew Miss Alice well and worked closely with her in the gardens and so was a treasure chest of her sayings and ways of managing the plants.
The first section of the greenhouse toured was filled with ferns and the varieties were just delightful to study. Maidenhair and the footed larger frond ferns are part of Miss Alice’s original collection. The pond and fountain centering the section of hothouse were a wonderful focal point with papyrus in the water. The greenhouse has slatted blinds inside for shade and lattice outside to knock out the intense Georgia sun but it was delightful to have the light on a cold March day that sprinkled snowflakes during the meeting.
Begonias, bougainvilleas, orchids, geraniums, and the large variety of portulaca were admired for either their color, size, or fragrance. The portulaca was so large many thought it a jade plant. Bordering the planting tables were pots of ivies of numerous varieties.
The orchids were impressive with Jo Phillips explaining and answering questions as the group wandered from plant to plant. The best fertilizers, Phillips said, were one that did not contain urea. She pointed out that orchids do rebloom with one or two blooms spikes per year.
Many members have tried and not succeeded with orchids and considering now you can purchase them at the grocery store, toss poorly performing ones away unless expensive or rare, and try a new one. When the spray has finished blooming you can cut back to the first node from the bloom stem end, but then again Phillips said you don’t have to cut the bloom stem-it’s a personal preference. She showed varieties where they had and had not pruned and showed how you are going to get more blooms by not cutting.
At Hills and Dales they do not stake orchids like growers do. Also orchids often look pot bound but they don’t mind it as their roots adhere to the pot. When repotting, trim the roots, but Phillips recommended keeping them in a six inch pot which is easier to manage.
Just after blooming when the crowns can be seen, divide and repot and then the flower will start a new bloom stem. The key to good orchids is not to let them stay soaking wet. Water them at the sink wetting leaves and all, non chlorinated water is better but the key is to drain thoroughly. She feeds the orchids regularly cutting to half strength fertilizer once or twice a month through the winter. She waters early in the day and does not water on rainy or cloudy moist days. The orchid rule is it’s better to be too dry than wet.
Phalaenopsis, Cymbidium, Epidendrum, and Cattleya were the varieties seen and discussed. Cattleya is the corsage orchid with thicker stems for storing water and it needs a lot of light. The club viewed a beautiful brilliant orange ruffled cattleya that was hybridized by the Whitehead family. Cymbidium are best left outside during summer and not brought in until the first frost as they need chilling. They are often packed in ice in warm states. Phalaenopsis or moth orchid is the common one grown at home and the long blooming one.
Kalanchoe and Miss Alice’s famed calla lilies were toured before going to view a demonstration on repotting orchids. Horticulturist Joanna Lee showed how they used a three part mixture of charcoal (to filter bacteria), perlite (volcanic rock) and ground tree bark (fir) which you can buy as a special orchid mix (Taylor-Foster carries it). She teased the orchid out of its root bound pot cutting off the dead roots and shaking off the old dirt. Orchid pots have large holes around their edge for drainage. Lee used a piece of old window screen to plug the middle drainage hole and filled the pot a third or inch and a half with orchid mix before placing the orchid in and sprinkling in the mix until it supported the roots.
They water well and let drain. Hills and Dales uses Better-Gro Orchid Bloom Booster which is a 11-35-15 mixture. They showed the ladies grow lights made from simple lights bought at Wal-mart that are handy for the home so that orchids can be under light 12-14 hours a day. UV protectors on many home’s windows do filter out some elements of the light spectrum that orchids need. East and north windows usually give enough light while south and west windows may be too hot.
Trays with water help with humidity needs as long as the plant is not sitting in the water. Phillips pointed out a keiki or baby plant growing from the stem that you can snip and plant. They dip scissors in alcohol to make sterile cuts.
Walking past the herb garden with its pillars of climbing roses, boxwood parterre, and cold frames and then touring the terraces all wrapped in the grays of winter was a stark reminder of how nice having a greenhouse is. The colors of the blooming plants were a warm reminder spring is on its way. Club members finished off the delightful morning by dining at the Lemon Tree restaurant.
And the prettiest sight you'll see . . Toots Hobson has a bird's eye view of the square as she adds Christmas greenery and a red ribbon to the historic fire bell. She noted that mischievous children in an earlier time would run a string from the bell to the top of Hill Brothers Store to ring the bell and not get caught!
