Strelitzia reginae
(Bird of paradise)

A south african species that’s popular in gardens round the Mediterranean. Too tender for a Scandinavian winter. This one was brought home from Madeira as a tiny plant 10 years ago and it’s flowered this year for the first time.

The flowers emerge one by one from the sheath (bract) on the right and rotate towards the stem.

Pleione limprichtii

A small orchid from Sichuan in SW China, where it grows at 2000-3000 metres. It’s accustomed to severe winters and will grow outside in our corner of Sweden, but is fussy. I haven’t yet found a spot it likes so I keep a few inside in reserve.