O is for Orchids

I have a few indoor plants and orchids are one that I fall for hard. Seeing them available in the grocery stores just makes it worse. Don’t they know how to market things! Put it up front where you can’t miss it.

Any rate once they finish blooming it’s a challenge (for me) to get them to rebloom the following year. I’ve even gone the distance to by orchid ‘food’ and try to remember to feed them on schedule.

One year at a plant show at the local garden club I saw a man selling orchid ‘pots’ he had made. They were basically wood strips of 1 cm by 1 cm thickness stacked to make an airy planter. On the top he had screwed in eye hooks so you could suspend the planter if you wished. Boy, I wish I had bought more than three that day. He wasn’t selling them the next time. And they are the best thing. Water drains through easily but the wood chips and wood structure keep enough moisture between plantings and their is plenty of air flow.

For summer I hang them from the metal arch I have my climbing rose trained over. They get early morning sun, rain if there is any, plenty of air and shade during the middle of the day. The house shades them from the afternoon on.

Other orchids are in more traditional ceramic pots with pierced openings. I fit as many as I can on a stand that normally sits on the front porch, but can be brought in for winter use in the bay window. The stand gets morning sun and plenty of air so another good fit for the orchids. Also getting it wet does no damage so I water liberally.

So I’m rather pleased with myself to be able to get some reblooming from the store bought orchids as my mother’s general comment about potted flowers from the grocery store was, ‘Just figure they are going to die and pretend they are cut flowers.’ I’ve definitely got my money’s worth.