Friday, July 24, 2009

My Blooming Orchid




One of my orchids is reblooming and it makes me very happy. After months of tender loving care, it is so rewarding to see one burst into blossoms. This happy occasion is in part thanks to the 'Orchid Lady' in town. She holds orchid workshops at our local nursery throughout the year.


I attended one of her workshops this past spring and learned a lot of the usual things such as the right light, frequent watering and the importance of fertilizer. But by far the best advice the Orchid Lady gave me was to talk to my orchids. She said that orchids are women and like all women, they thrive on conversation.

As you can imagine I was thrilled with this assignment as I was already in full blown conversation with dogs, horses, alpacas, birds and all non-biting insects. This would be for sure the easiest part of caring for my orchids.


And so began the conversations with our orchids. Our dog Lucy is no longer startled by salutations not directed towards her, nor is hubby the least bit surprised that I have yet to run out of anything to say. And so our orchids continue to blossom...

6 comments :

  1. just got home from work and just knew you would have a beautiful new post to see. and sure enough, orchids! i love them and am just learning to grow them. i think i may actually get new flowers this year. i'm copying what one of my neighbors does. it seems to be working. they look healthier than they ever have. again i will say, your photography has such a clean, simple beauty to it. janet

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  2. That is soooo funny! I can just see little Lucy looking up saying "Are you talkin' to me?" and then putting her head down when she realizes you are talking to the orchid!! I love orchids too, but I'm b.a.d. and buy them blooming and give them away when they stop...
    Yours are absolutley beautiful! What type of fertilizer did the Orchid lady say to use?
    (I was 9/10 when my brother-in-law bought me my first orchid; a Lady Slipper. He still has it! And I'm old!;)

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  3. Hi Joan, If I could only be quick enough to photograph the expressions on Lucy's face during our days together. Sometimes she gives me a, "what? what are talking about? oh yeah, you're crazy" look. Sometimes it's just plain sympathy and sometimes sincere concern. But by far my favorite, is her look of pure amuzement where I swear she's on the verge of laughing out loud. Haven't heard it yet though. The Orchid Lady recommends the fertilizer "Eleanor's VF-11." And she insists on feeding your orchids everytime you water - every week.

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  4. Hi Janet, Thank you for your comment ; ) I once walked into a woman's home (the caterer for our wedding actually) and her house was filled with orchids. Every room, every where you looked. It was beautiful. That's what inspired me to have lots of orchids in our home. So what do you and your neighbor do to make yours look healthier?

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  5. well, first off i should tell you my "neighbor" is kimberly crest mansion. a huge turn-of-the-century mansion built for the kimberly's (kimberly-clark paper goods)in 1909. the master gardener there has instructed me to put mine outside (in this incredible heat) and fertilize them every week. his look amazing, so that's what i'm doing. they look like they will live! i'm like joan, i've always given mine away when they are done blooming so i'm excited to see if this works. i'm trying to put together a post re kimberly crest, it's an amazing place.

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  6. Trina- Thanks for the fertilizer name.. Eleanors VF-11 appears to be very popular with the Garden Web people!
    There is a deal on Eleanor's website where you can order a sample for $3! I think it makes 8 gallons.

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Thank you for leaving your thoughts. Kind regards, Catherine

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