Gone to Pot

Have I ever mentioned how much I love orchids?  They're beautiful to look at, are fairly easy to maintain but most importantly for me, they provide the best value if you want fresh flowers in your home because their blooms last for a few months at a time. 

I've purchased 7 orchids in the 3+ years I've lived in my condo - when the blooms of the first one dropped, I bought my second, and when the blooms of the second faded, I picked up my third because the first one was still dormant.  I've had to get rid of one because the leaves were looking rather sickly and of the 6 that remain, some of which have re-bloomed, I haven't yet figured out how to get more than 4 or 5 buds to flower on a stem like these crazy-gorgeous specimens at Bangkok International Airport:

Nor have they synched up to bloom consecutively for me.  One's currently in bloom and 5 are sleeping so I decided now was the time to give the latter some new "bedding" if you will - time to re-pot! Da-da-dum!!

I googled "re-potting orchids" and found a ton of tutorials on what to do, including this one featuring Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" as background music.  For reals!  Talk about blast from the past! 

Anyway, here's my attempt below - this particular pot had moss as its growing medium, and can I just say it was kinda gross removing it all?  I had to trim some of the roots that were "mushy" and then returned them to the pot using the "exotic potting medium."

Fingers crossed that I did it right!

Going to Pot

I spent all afternoon gardening on my balcony - or, as my new English friend JD says, re-potting my new plants into larger/decorative containers.  I'd thought about not doing anything out there this year since it's basically a dustbowl thanks to the construction site I currently overlook, but the sight on the other side of my glass wall was just too depressing:

So I'm bringing in some old and new - I grew grape tomatoes and basil last year which made for yummy salads all summer long so they're back, but instead of grape tomatoes, I went with Romas.  And for flowers, I've gone with hydrangeas - "The Original" Endless Summer Bloom to be specific - just thinking about the gorgeous blowsy blooms to come makes me happy!

It took twice as long and as much soil as I thought it would to re-pot everything - in addition to the 2 hydrangeas, the tomato and basil, I also had to re-pot a newly-purchased jade plant and the money tree I got from Ikea a couple years ago, never mind the post-planting clean-up of debris, soil and dirt - oh the dirt!  I shudder at the memory of the thick layer of construction dust that had settled on the cover of my patio furniture.  Ewww.

Anyway, back to happy thoughts.  Here's what my balcony looks like now:

Left to right: sweet basil, roma tomato, hydrangea, and behind the glass, jade plant and money tree.

I'm not sure how acidic the soil is since that's what determines the colour of the hydrangeas - acidic soil yields blue blooms and alkaline yields pink.  I'm hoping for something in-between like these gorgeous purple ones, so will have to do a little research to figure out how to make it happen. So excited though!! :) 

Pretty Bluebellgray

Tell me these aren't the prettiest, girliest cushions you've seen in awhile. I dare you. You can't, can you?
I was catching up on my reader and happened upon them via a sneak peek on Design*Sponge of Fiona Douglas' home, the artist/designer behind Bluebellgray.  Check out her lovely wares below in situ.

Seriously.
Just lovely. 

Photos via Design*Sponge

Serendipity

ser-en-dip-i-ty [ser-uh n-dip-i-tee] – noun

1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.

2. good fortune; luck: the serendipity of getting the first job she applied for.

I walked home after work today through Chinatown today to pick up faux cherry blossoms as part of the wedding centrepiece.  The original orchid theme tweaked to include cherry blossoms because M had his heart set on this wedding cake.

I'd spied them last Friday in a store on Dundas and went back for them but the shop owner was on vacation which was fine, except they didn't have enough in stock - I needed about 40 - and the shop girls couldn't help me so I'd have to wait until Friday when the shop owner was back.

Mildly disappointed, I headed on home....except I didn't go straight home.  I was searching for pretty chopsticks to give away as bombonieres and stumbled onto an even better option for the cherry blossoms then the first!  And they were cheaper!!  While they were twice as expensive a branch, they were fuller so I needed only 11.  Ooh, and the great thing about Chinatown is oftentimes, if you pay cash, they'll give you a discount, aka, no tax.  

Everything's all coming together!  My sister just confirmed the cake design and order and I've got my quotes for the fresh bridal flowers to review and we're well on our way! 

Wedding Flowers

My sister's wedding is just over a month away and she has no idea what she wants to do when it comes to flowers. She has a vague idea of tossing flower petals over a mirrored glass top on her dining table with a few scattered tealights and calling it a day on the centrepiece. Now, I know it's not a big wedding - just 20 people maybe - but still. It's just too spare and, um, sad. I want my sister to look back on her wedding pictures and remember it as beautiful. So we browsed online yesterday for flower ideas.

My brainstorm today, sparked by this image here on Martha Stewart Weddings led to this:

Sis' wedding centrepiece I by phoenixc on Polyvore.com

PHALAENOPSIS
$20 - ikea.com

IKEA | Decorative objects, bowls & dishes | Decorative objects |...
$1.49 - ikea.com

Egg Candles
$40 - momastore.org

Bridal Bouquets and more inspiring wedding dresses, bouquets, cakes,...
marthastewart.com
More dresses »

Orchid Bouquets
marthastewartweddings.com

Orchid Bouquets
marthastewartweddings.com

Susan and James: Nassau, Bahamas
marthastewartweddings.com

What do you think?

Bird Nest Vase

Isn't this ever so pretty? New at Urban Barn...tempting...

Bugged

I was ever so hopeful a couple weeks ago when I saw that the ranunculus bulbs I planted actually had a few buds growing. But since then, I've noticed that my flowers have grown rather sickly. I thought it first that maybe I was over-watering - I remember reading that the bulbs need well-drained soil because they don't like to be waterlogged...but I took a closer look tonight when I was relaxing on my balcony and noticed that my flowers were pretty much infested with aphids. I've got chills and goosebumps now just thinking about it because I HATE bugs.

I was just reading up on how to eradicate them and since I don't have ladybugs handy and a hose to spray them off is out of the question there's pretty much no hope. I'm going to have to dig them all out and start fresh again next year.

Sadness. I was so looking forward to pots full of pretty flowers.

Feeling koi...

I was out for my dose of vitamin D today and happened upon this koi vase at Chatelet that I decided I had to have. So cute. :)

Apple Blossom Amaryllis

While in Amsterdam I visited Keukenhof, a 35 acre park of heavenly bulbs in bloom. It will come as no surprise to you that there were shops on the grounds that sold bulbs including a dizzying array of tulips in every colour imaginable, and a wide assortment of amaryllis bulbs. Among my European haul was this amaryllis bulb, which I thought I'd killed because it took me almost a month to plant it and I hadn't refrigerated it or anything. Thankfully it was hardier than that and has begun to bloom!

Yesterday, it showed the promise of 5 flowers....


...and when I came home from work today, I was surprised by this lovely in flower:

I wish now that I'd bought more! :)

I've assorted ranunculus to plant this weekend but I'm also thinking of tackling an orchid next...

WIP: Balcony

The furniture I purchased last Friday for my balcony was delivered late this past Friday afternoon and here's what it looks like all set up:

I purposely didn't get a corner piece for the end because I wanted the side of the sectional closest to the door to be open. Also, my balcony is very wide - the sectional covers less then half of it - and I'm thinking of placing a bistro set on the other half. If my outdoor room's crowded with people, I like the option of being able to seat 4 (or 5 if super-cozy) rather than just 3 because of the arm at the end.

In an effort to finish the room, I spent this afternoon at HomeSense looking for the perfect garden drum stool. I first saw their great collection a couple weeks ago and came away with a simple one in metallic gunmetal grey to complement the metal finish of the sectional. I spied some gorgeous embellished stools in green but they didn't go with the contemporary lines of the sectional, nor the soft blue of the cushions. Oh well...


Thanks to all the nearby construction, the wind's kicked up an amazing amount of dust so I made another stop at Canadian Tire to pick up a storage bench to pack some of the cushions in when they're not in use, and a vinyl cover to protect the rest. This will save me from having to wipe things down each and every time I want to use it, which would certainly drive me nuts.

Next week, I'm thinking it's time to plant the assorted ranunculus bulbs I brought back from Amsterdam. I've been keeping my eyes open for the perfect planter box(es) but haven't quite found what it is I'm looking for. Keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be successful next week!

Family Day!

Spring Festival

Given that the lunar new year is also known as the Spring Festival in China, I thought it appropriate to pick up a couple bunches of tulips last night on the way to dinner. Not only do they brighten up the space with their cheerful colour, but they also made working through the new year weekend a little more bearable.

I'm going to soak in my tub now and then ready for bed since I have an 8am meeting tomorrow...

Hump Day Pick-Me-Up

I got these tulips on the way home last night as a pick-me-up for the slow as snails progression of the last week. Look at them now:

WIP: Hall Vignette

While walking home through Chinatown today I found these pretty silk orchids in a sad box outside a storefront and was inspired to display them in the vase I picked up at 18 Karat this past February.

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect mirror to hang over my little hall dresser...

Buggy Simcoe Day

I went for a hike on this lovely Simcoe Day with a few mandarin classmates and their families at Glen Major Forest and Walker Woods in Uxbridge and was eaten alive by mosquitoes - at one point, all I could hear was the constant buzzing around my head....which in hindsight, makes me wonder if it's the hairspray my stylist put in my hair to hold the curls she gave me for the wedding. I hadn't yet washed my hair and that explains a lot because I have 5 bites and they're all above my shoulders!

On the plus side, to avoid the bugs, I picked up the pace in the middle of our 3 hour hike and got quite the cardio work-out.


Plus, we snacked on wild raspberries we happened upon along the trail and crossed paths with teeny-tiny frogs.

OMG the colour!

I LOVE tulips - they are one of my favourite flowers and I literally gasped out loud at the brilliant hues of the field of tulips above.

From the article:

With more than 10,000 hectares devoted to the cultivation of these delicate flowers, the Dutch landscape in May is a kaleidoscope of giddy colours as the tulips burst into life.

The bulbs were planted in late October and early November, and these colourful creations are now ready to be picked and sold as bunches of cut flowers in florists and supermarkets.

More than three billion tulips are grown each year and two-thirds of the vibrant blooms are exported, mostly to the U.S. and Germany.

I want a couple bunches of the brilliant fuschia and purple ones at the top of the photo! via

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, name me a bulb...

S & S have been wanting to set me up with F since last year, when I met him briefly at W's birthday bash. I remember thinking at the time that he was kinda cute but rather quiet. He didn't stay very long as he and S were heading off to a show - he's very much into music and has a widely-read blog about same - and because S went off and got married in India over the holidays, nothing came of it and I forgot what F looked like over time.

Anyway, S was at S&W's wedding party a few weeks ago and the interest to set us up again was revived. Something was supposed to be arranged for next week but it was sort of pushed up a week so that we ended up sort of meeting again last night over a karaoke mic in Koreatown.

Now, karaoke isn't exactly the most conducive environment in which to get to know someone, particuarly when both of the people involved are shy by varying degrees...and there was little to no alcohol involved to provide a little Dutch courage...so I'd have to say that last night was a bust. We'll see if the original intent to re-introduce us in a more chatty environment, like say, over dinner, materializes next week.

And on a random note, after a late night out singing, I stayed over at S&W's since S and I had plans for a run this morning. We were walking by her neighbour's front yard when I spied these purple flower-balls below and remarked aloud about how I liked them because they looked so wild:


I didn't know what they were called and I didn't see the neighbour because he was hiding behind the foilage of the trees in his yard, but he heard me and called out that they were called alliums. So now I know. :)

Harbord Room

I caught up over dinner with my best friends at Harbord Room last night and was struck first by the scent of the lilies in the ladies room and then by the lovely Chinoiserie-inspired sink.

The dark border you see above the white subway tile is painted with green chalkboard paint and there's a bowl of chalk, just for fun. The only thing this powder room lacks is a mirror.

Clematis Redux

The clematis to the left is the last on the vine - I thought all of these lavender-blue blooms had faded but I was wrong, and only noticed it this evening when I saw that the purple ones to the right were stretching towards it...as if to say, "Hey there, how you doin'? How's about we keep you company for a bit?"

Hydrangea

One week later and the one lavender bloom in the midst of blue is fuller and purpler...