Zooming – April 2026

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April was a mix of temperature extremes with some plants thriving – others not faring so well. By the end of the month, it was obvious that the majority were going to be OK. I enjoyed my yard in April as I planted almost 40 new native plants (the bulk in a new garden); I photographed older plants as I added the new ones. I released 10 luna moths that emerged from last summer’s cohort; the temperature swings might have been challenging for them but I opted to release them within 24-48 hours after they emerged since their adult life span is so short. There is one picture from my Texas trip…3 from a visit to Powell Gardens.

Powell Gardens – Part II

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The Orchid Delirium exhibit was the motivation for our visit to Powell Gardens last week. I always enjoy taking macro pictures of orchids with my phone (iPhone 15 Pro Max); it is easier with a Bluetooth shutter remote which I had remembered to clip onto my purse handle. The pathways through the exhibit were wide and it was not crowded…everyone was taking their own time looking at the orchids. Usually, the slipper orchids are my favorites but I found myself drawn to the orange ones (orange was my mother’s favorite color and the color reminds me of her). I noticed the different textures and patterns of the flowers – lightly creased, curls, lines, dots, fizzy hairs, shiny/matte, veins. I realized that orchids sometimes remind me of carnivorous plants.

Enjoy the carousel of images!

Powell Gardens – Part I

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Last week, I made my first trip to Powell Gardens to see their orchid display. It is a day trip from my home in Nixa MO so I will probably go again later this spring….and/or next fall. It was a cold day, and we weren’t planning on walking around outdoors, so we weren’t disappointed that the trees were mostly still bare. Our membership at Springfield Botanical Garden got us into Powell Gardens too!

The horse sculptures on the way into the visitor center were a plus. I was surprised that they were not listed in the Wander Walk Art in the Gardens brochure.

We knew in advance that the main reason for our trip was the Orchid Delirium event. It was in the visitor center….beginning as soon as we walked in. There is a large area of the building that has a glass roof – and lots of windows in the walls.

It was a great place to wander around and get close looks at orchids; more of my orchid pictures in the blog post for day after tomorrow.

There was a side exhibit about First Ladies and Orchids that I enjoyed.

One aspect of the exhibit that was unique was manikins in formal wear among the orchids. My favorite was one where the skirt of the gown was plants!

On the way back to the car, I saw a redbud in bloom. The flowers along the larger branches were OK but the ones on the small branches appeared to be damaged (killed?) by recent frosts.

More orchid photos day after tomorrow….