If All My Orchids Bloom at Once . . .

Posted on December 6, 2013 by apronheadlilly

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. . . then I’m going to give tours and charge a fee! 🙂

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About apronheadlilly

wife and mother, musician, composer / poet, teacher, and observer of the world, flawed Christ-follower
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23 Responses to If All My Orchids Bloom at Once . . .

  1. Darla Welchel says:
    December 6, 2013 at 6:37 pm

    Wow, what beautiful flowers, I’m impressed, I can barely grow ivy!

    Reply
  2. sheridegrom - From the literary and legislative trenches. says:
    December 6, 2013 at 8:52 pm

    Exquisite orchids. When we lived on the central coast of California we had hundreds of different orchids blooming year round. Then, as fate had it, I transferred to DC and that was the end of out-door Orchids. My husband, a jewelry designer using only presious metals (gold, white gold, platium) carved out of lost wax a beautiful orchid and set one single precious stone in the ‘part’ of the orchid that reached out from the center. Obviously he was also the orchid guy – I had all the other gardens. Most individuals that make jewelry featuring orchids and other flowers tell you they are genuine when in fact the jewelry has in fact dipped the actual flower into gold or other metal – still somewhat tricky but I never saw one made the easy way as beautiful as the way Tom did his.

    Reply
    • apronheadlilly says:
      December 7, 2013 at 1:06 am

      Wow, you should post a picture!

      Reply
      • sheridegrom - From the literary and legislative trenches. says:
        December 7, 2013 at 10:33 am

        I wish I could. My career was coming to a peak during that time and when I’d get home from work (normally after midnight, I’d sit out on the patio under the huge cottonwood tree and enjoy the fragrance of the orchids as they emitted their different fragrances. I’ve never been much with photography and although my husband is an award winning photographer many times over, in those days he was busy with all of his art talents. The silly orchids seemed to love being left alone. I think they thrived on the midst that rolled in with the fog everynight and stayed until late morning.

        Reply
        • apronheadlilly says:
          December 7, 2013 at 4:23 pm

          So were they in shadow or direct sunlight? I wouldn’t dare growing them outside here with our extremes of temps.

        • sheridegrom - From the literary and legislative trenches. says:
          December 8, 2013 at 9:20 am

          The orchids were all In what I would call dappled sunlight. We were on the central coast were the temperature remains around 70 year round. My husband did all the primary care. It always amazed me that so many of the orchids would root on bark and bloom beautiful cascades for six months at a time. I honestly believe the environment was absolutely perfect all the time. I never cut orchids but my husband would bring me fresh orchids at my office every week. I also think the constant light mist from the morning and evening fog was almost like them being in their natural habitat.

        • apronheadlilly says:
          December 8, 2013 at 9:55 pm

          Sounds cool. Ask your hubby specialist if it’s noraml for an epiphyte to only bloom for a week. I waited almost 4 mos. for the bloom to finally appear; then it was dead in a week. 😦

        • sheridegrom - From the literary and legislative trenches. says:
          December 9, 2013 at 4:26 am

          Tom told me he had one that didn’t bloom for 5 years but when it did the bloom lasted about 3 weeks. He also said that as he added to his collection he’d try different locations, amounts of moisture and fertilizer. He also suggested a regular schedule of using all natural egg shells tucked into the soil. Don’t use too many.

        • apronheadlilly says:
          December 9, 2013 at 6:07 am

          This one is growing on a piece of cork, no soil.

        • sheridegrom - From the literary and legislative trenches. says:
          December 11, 2013 at 4:57 am

          Great that you have it growing on cork. So many people believe everything should be shoved in a pot. What temperature range is your plant in, what type of lighting and what is your water source? All questions my husband assumed I had the answer for.

        • apronheadlilly says:
          December 11, 2013 at 3:39 pm

          It was hot here in the summer, but it was in the room where the swamp cooler vent was so it stayed about mid-70s. Now it is in the 50s at night (hubby doesn’t believe in heat) and 60s doing the day. It is right beside a window corner with an east and south facing window. We don’t allow direct sunlight. Only open the shades when the sun is higher. When it was hot I was soaking it every few days, now about once a week.

        • sheridegrom - From the literary and legislative trenches. says:
          December 12, 2013 at 4:03 am

          Tom tells me you are doing everything correct. Orchids don’t often tell us what they need to even bloom, let alone produce long lasting blooms.

        • apronheadlilly says:
          December 12, 2013 at 4:56 am

          I know: I need to talk more to my epiphyte. 🙂 Maybe even sing.

  3. tootlepedal says:
    December 6, 2013 at 11:57 pm

    Well worth paying a fee to see those.

    Reply
  4. reinkat says:
    December 7, 2013 at 8:39 am

    I’d go on a tour to see those!

    Reply
    • apronheadlilly says:
      December 7, 2013 at 4:26 pm

      I have another–actually one that I thought I was going to lose because it didn’t seem as viable–that just started a shoot. Another one blooming by Christmas! 3 are blooming currently. My wee epiphyte’s blossom lasted only one week. 😦

      Reply
  5. dorannrule says:
    December 8, 2013 at 12:37 am

    Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous!

    Reply
  6. pattisj says:
    December 8, 2013 at 3:31 am

    So pretty! Where do I send the check?

    Reply

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