Sunday, November 21, 2010

Orchids

Okay, orchids don't have anything to do with vegetable gardening, fruit trees and shrubs, or herbs.  But I like 'em and have a few that are blooming or are ready to bloom.

I started growing orchids about 5 years ago, figured they couldn't be too hard to grow.  I then promptly killed my first phalaenopsis.  I was bummed but persisted and tried again.  The second time I had success, and I slowly expanded my orchid collection.  I even joined an orchid society, or as my wife called it "The Dorkid Society".  It was a good place to get information and plants, as well as talk to 85-year-old women who have hundreds of orchids in their houses.  No lie.  While I'm no longer active in the society, I took the tips and tricks I learned there and have put them into use.

Here is a picture of a cattleya that opened this morning on my dining room table.  It lives outside for most of the year until the weather cools in the fall and I bring it inside.  The blooms are about 7" in diameter and have a great fragrance.

Most orchids have ridiculous and lengthy names.  This one is no exception.  It is called Blc. Ronald's Canyon 'Koko Head'.

2 comments:

Veggie PAK said...

While not a vegetable, it still is beautiful! Very delicate-looking. What a brilliant color! Very nice! Do the blooms last long?

.09 Acres said...

Hi Veggie PAK! Welcome back. The blooms on this orchid should last 3 or more weeks under the right conditions. I used to be really big into the orchids, but now I'm primarily into vegetables and fruit. This is one of five orchids remaining in my collection. The rest have been sold or given away.