Orchid Tree, Part 2 (and Red Fish Update)

Our orchid tree is in bloom. Here's a nice close up. The tree, in its totality, is still skinny and not much to look at--if you squint just right it looks like a mass of flowers hanging in the air.

To follow up on an earlier post, this tree is also known as Mountain Ebony (Bauhinia purpurea) and is a less desired and less commonly seen specimen than its cousin, the Hong Kong orchid tree (Bauhinia x blakeana), which has already finished flowering this year.

This year, when the blooms fall off and the pods come in (like huge sugar peas) I will trim back the tree a little to shape it up. Maybe next year the leaves will look better. I'm consulting with my team of scientists at the CIA for a new strategy.

Also, I returned my sick fish to the pond this morning. He seemed better, or maybe he just looked lonely floating around in that garbage can. If he is contagious, you'd think he would have gotten worse by now, right? Oh well, sometimes there's not a good choice to make. I just went to check on him, and he wasn't floating. So far, so good.

Here's the tree, seen from the front yard. It wouldn't win any awards at a plant show, but I think it is a really nice, beautiful tree. I'm glad we have this variety.

Also, I went out again, just now, to try and take a picture of the red fish, and he must be hiding under the lilies. The koi can hear the security alarm beep from our house when we open the back door, and they usually come to the surface to see if I've got some food. They are all hiding today. No one wants to go into the can.