Hello Januaryists, and happy Friday!

Welcome back to the Good To Grow site, and thanks for being here.

Happy New Year to you all! I hope yours has gotten off to a wonderful start. We woke up to snow in Albuquerque yesterday, so I took that as a good omen for the year ahead.

As you know, the Experts are still on a holiday break, so let’s admire their adorableness:

 

And go straight to the plant puzzler:

???Real or Fake???

Last week, I asked if this Orchid was real or fake:

Good To Grow, Liza's photos, real or fake plant puzzler

Let’s see how you answered:

Wendy13 wrote, “Totes magotes real.”

Terrence from the Dynamic Gardening site wrote, “This orchid looks in fact really real to me! 🙂“

That’s two votes real, zero votes fake.

What’s the correct answer?

Let’s take a wider view:

Good To Grow, Liza's photos, real or fake plant puzzler

It’s real! They all are. You can tell from the spent flower stalk still attached. I’ve seen a few fake Orchids in the past, and while they look pretty similar to the real ones, they’re still a waste of money because they just sit there collecting dust. Real Orchids are always prettier, and because they grow and flower, it’s basically like bringing magic into your home.

Well played everyone. You nailed it.

To show my appreciation for your participation, I’d like to award each of you the following prizes: A brand new year, 13 sparkles, two congratulatory comments, one clean slate, garlic sauteed spinach, a winter wonderland, 14 1/2 bonus points, one rose bowl, eight surprises, a trophy made of snow, six warm welcomes, 47 black-eyed peas, one ladder, five good deeds, three baby horses, four tacos, a new chandelier, Artesia, seven radio dedications, a spare larynx, incense, nine interesting ideas, three second chances, Daniel, 23 twinkle lights, five compliments on your wardrobe, well being, six sour apple licorice sticks, one backyard swing, sage, an opera written in your honor, the right ingredients, a spectacular winter sunset, Sedillo Hill, four heirloom vegetables, one Dieffenbachia plant, a new calendar year, three beginnings, 16 more points, and one perfect score.

Congratulations! And thanks for playing.

Up next, a new puzzler:

???Real or Fake???

Is this lemon tree real or fake?

Good To Grow, Liza's photos, real or fake plant puzzler

Think you know the answer, smartyplants? I’ll give you one hint: This photo was taken in Santa Fe in mid-December 2014.

Leave your best guess in the comments section. You have until midnight MST (that’s 2a.m. EST) next Thursday, January 8th to cast your vote. I’ll reveal the answer and the winner(s) next Friday. The prizes may be imaginary but the link to your site and the glory of winning are oh-so-real. Good luck, and thanks for playing!