Ravages of summer

Spending nearly a month away was a great break from the summer heat here but sadly I returned for find quite a number of my orchids had not survived.

• most of the vanda seedlings did not survive as they were kept too damp.  Only the coerulescens remains
• having tried to separate the white neofinetia falcata, the separate plantlets also did not survive.  That was my fault - I really should have just left it as it was as it was so healthy.  I just bought a replacement today - hope that I don't kill that as well! 
  
• I also attempted to repot the yellow miltonia as it appeared to be root-bound but again it was a bad decision and it was a dried up plant when I returned.
• the lovely Dendrobium Unicum sadly also did not survive.  I hope I will be able to find another replacement some time.

Since returning, the heat has also been very intense with the hottest temperature ever recorded - 37.4 deg C.  It doesn't help that this alternates with intense rainstorms as the weather swings from one extreme to the other. The phalaenopsis are suffering - the leaves are limp and wrinkled on most of them!  I hope they will survive albeit looking rather worse for wear!

In an attempt to cheer myself up, I purchased a few more interesting specimens during my visit to the Flower Market for potting media.