My Very Old Orchid

This was my mother's favorite orchid. The actual plant was passed down from my great grandmother's second husband, a man called Pedro Centeno. While we don't have an exact date, it must be close to 70 years old. Mother (my great grandmother), as we knew her, had lost her first husband to typhoid in 1910. She was under 30 with six children, my grandmother Dora, the youngest just 10 months old.When I'm having a bad day, I think of her.
I come from a family of women. They gardened, they cooked and they talked. This is the first year that I won't be ringing Mummy to boast that the Shower of Gold as we know it, has outdone itself and offered up some five to six sprays. I hope she can see her favorite flower in bloom from heaven. All these women still live in me. And the orchid is still here blooming every year.
For all the orchid afficianados, I've included an excerpt from the site http://www.exoticrainforest.com/ that I've linked to below.

Dendrobium lindleyi Steud.Synonym: Dendrobium aggregatum
Often known as Dendrobium aggregatum, which is now considered to be a synonym of Dendrobium lindleyi, this species is a native of Indochina, the Himalayas, Burma, and the Malaysian peninsula. Capable of producing relatively large sprays of up to one dozen flowers, the small pseudobulbs measure approximately 5cm (2 inches) long. Typically, Dendrobium lindleyi blooms in the spring producing orange-yellow flowers measuring approximately 3.5cm (1.5 inches) in width. The flowers produce a very light scent and are suspended from an inflorescence that hangs like a pendent to the side of the orchid. Some growers choose to grow the epiphytic species on slabs of cork but they can also be potted or grown in wooden baskets. If placed in a pot the potting media is best if it consists of a fibrous material such as sphagnum moss. Dendrobium lindleyi prefers large amounts of water in summer along with warm temperatures (70 to 90 degrees F) and moderately bright light. Water frequently with a dilute fertilizer added to the water. The species prefers cool nights with temperatures down to the low 50 degree F range during the winter along with just enough water to keep the pseudobulbs plump. Some growers do not recommend fertilizer during the winter.


This Easter lily has just popped up as well. That is how I know that we are well into the dry season. They are always a lovely surprise when they pop up like this.

Another sign that dry season is in full form is the blooming of the pink poui. All the tree around the Savannah are in full flower and the roads, pavements and savannah grass is all covered in a carpet of pink. I believe the pink poui is the National Flower of Venezuela which would make sense as Venezuela is only seven miles away from us.
I think the sheer beauty of this flower does more for the psyche of the average Trinidadian than any marketing or peace summit meeting. If everyone had a poui tree in their yard, that amount of beauty could not fail to have a soul soothing effect. And responding to some primal clock, all trees thoughout the island begin their show at the same time. The things nature could teach us.
Thank you poui for gracing our landscape. Below is some information on the geneology of the plant: Thank you http://mgonline.com/pinktab.html

Zone 10
Pink Tabebuia is native from Mexico to Venezuela. It may be seen called Pink Poui-Rosea or just Pink Trumpet Tree
Larger than the Yellow Tabebuia, it is rated widely from 20-50 feeTabebuia Most mature trees we see locally are about 30-35 feet. Tabebuia Young Pinks grow like the Yellow but then fill out taller and wider
This Tabebuia is one over 100 species with blooms starting near the first day of spring in South Florida. Its clusters of pink trumpet flowers are very attractive