Quick Catch-up

I've worked two weeks now at Longwood, in several different areas and with many gardeners. I have spent a good deal of time in the main conservatory with Karl and Lauren, where I quickly caught on to the methods of bed changes, the naming of many new plants, ornamental display indoors, and lots of fuschias! I learned that fuschias are very messy though they are beautiful, and that they wilt for one of two reasons: under- and over-watering...
Last Wednesday, I felt very accomplished with Hudson and Ginny. We divided a bed of orange clivias (Clivia miniata) in the Pierre DuPont house that hadn't been thinned since 1990! It was a crazy root orgy in there, and we removed all the plants, added more media, cleaned off all the mealy-bugs, and replanted them by half. Added ivy. Looks great!
More recently, I have been working with Lee and Marie in the orchid display. I love the orchids. There are over 9,000 plants in the orchid collection, and amidst all those beautiful blooms, leaves, spikes, and shoots there is order! They keep excellent record of the number of each species and cultivar, and when it was last repotted, etc. I learned how to repot an orchid properly, something I was somewhat uncomfortable with before I began. I'll be working with Lee and Marie next week. :)