Currently... uh, Thursday: 27 February 2020

[calissa]

Currently Reading

Having blasted through a heap of reading over the last week, I'm kind of between books at the moment. I have tentatively started The True Queen by Zen Cho, but am only just through the prologue. I'm already glad I took the time to reread Sorcerer to the Crown though, since it has helped set the context... and it had been way too long since I first read it.


Currently Watching

I actually got around to watching the first episode of The Untamed today. It really does throw you in the deep end, doesn't it? So many characters! I've been making use of the primer from Reading the End.


Currently Observing

The photo at the top of the post shows new growth on a butterfly orchid that was rehomed with me. It was in poor shape when it arrived--standing in water had rotted many of its roots. I trimmed it up and repotted, and it seems to have recovered. I'm rather pleased. It seems I'm developing a bit of an orchid collection. My Australian native hybrid recently produced a new cane. I've not had success with striking these previously, but I changed up my potting material this time and seem to have been successful.

Comments

[pantha]

Oooh, you can orchid?

I have an orchid but it's ... being a bit weird. Do you have orchid advice?

[calissa]

Maybe? What kind of orchid and what kind of weird? Do you have my email address?

[pantha]

It is... an orchid? Generic supermarket orchid? Probably some sort of Phalaenopsis? Think it once had dark pink flowers?

As for weird, it hasn't flowered in ages but fairly recently it grew a new leaf (now nearly full-sized) and has sprouted loads of roots that are jutting off horizontally in all directions from the top of the pot. It does still have roots that go down to the bottom of the pot, though, and those are still green so I think they're healthy.

I... may have your email address? I'm not sure.

[calissa]

As for weird, it hasn't flowered in ages but fairly recently it grew a new leaf (now nearly full-sized) and has sprouted loads of roots that are jutting off horizontally in all directions from the top of the pot. It does still have roots that go down to the bottom of the pot, though, and those are still green so I think they're healthy.

These all sound like good signs! Don't worry about the roots growing out of the pot--my biggest and healthiest looks like some kind of eldritch horror. And they like to be a bit crowded. If it hasn't flowered in a while, it may need a bit more light than it's getting. A bit of diluted liquid fertiliser every now and then also doesn't go astray.

I'll DM you my address.

[pantha]

Thank you! <3

[forestofglory]

I loved The True Queen! Its more like Zen Cho's short fiction than the 1st book is and feels more like her own voice.

The Untamed \o/ The first two episodes are deeply confusing. Glad you have Jenny's primer to help you out!

[calissa]

The primer has been very helpful... though I admit I'm looking at the list of character deaths and wondering whether I made the right choice in starting this show.

[forestofglory]

I really love the show despite the fact that its a lot darker than most media I enjoy. I think it does a really good job of balancing dark/angsty stuff with soft/light stuff. So I hope that despite all the deaths you enjoy it!

[starlightmagpie]

Yay, orchids! I have a burgeoning collection too, with most of them being rescues from people who would just have thrown them out after they finished flowering :O! I also have three inherited from my grandmother, all of which had been sadly overwatered and are very unhappy right now. I need to repot them, which I'm nervous about because they are in very poor shape. I hope mine end up as happy as yours clearly is :)

[calissa]

most of them being rescues from people who would just have thrown them out after they finished flowering

*headdesk* Why would you do that?

I hope mine end up as happy as yours clearly is

I think as long as you use a good orchid potting mix and don't stick them in too large a container, they should be fine. I'd love to hear how it goes!