Orchid Addiction

I can see where the warnings about orchid addictions come from. A few months ago I was so excited when this little guy bloomed for the first time. (The colors are better than they show here. I found it really hard to get a good picture of this pale violet and even paler green in the bloom.) When a really hard rain washed away the bloom after only a week, I was pretty bummed about it.

This is one that I have had for literally years as just a little baby orchid that doesn't bloom. It was pretty exciting when I finally saw a bud on it. Come to think of it, the bud was there longer than the bloom. No wonder I was so disappointed the monsoon washed it away!



But this week, my dendrobium has been capturing my attention by slowly opening one bud at a time. Today it is in glorious bloom with a full spray of flowers. I know this to be the most common color of a very common orchid, but I still love it.

This one Mom brought me for my birthday last year. It was already a mature plant with tons and tons of flowers. But, it's still exciting to have it bloom in my care. Trust me - that is by no means a foregone conclusion!

My poor Vanda still refuses to bloom...though it is having babies. Twins in fact. I guess it just doesn't have enough energy left for flowering. I think most new mother's feel that way, especially if they are having twins.

All the excitement aside, though, I have resisted buying any new orchids for a long time now. I may wander through the orchid section each and every time I visit Home Depot, but only one has come home with me in a year and a half. And that was a really cool terrestial orchid that sits on the patio and blooms non-stop. That's better than any of the annuals I've bought to brighten up the backyard. Maybe it's time to treat myself to a new orchid? Maybe another dendrobium, since I seem to do well with them?