It's That Time Again For Another Update On The Orchids ..
I needed a sixth picture in my cover photo in order to keep the photo nice and even. I am a bit OCD that way and like the balanced look. It's always nice to see Pepper's little face sitting there next to the Orchids. He played such a lovable and curious role in my passion for Orchids, that it feels very natural to throw in a picture from time to time. Unfortunately, I have to edit Molly into them due to her extreme paranoia and fear of things she is unfamiliar with.
The Orchids ..
So by now you may have read that I have five Orchids in full bloom. They have brightened our living space and we enjoy seeing the color every single day. These beautiful blooms should last throughout the summer and maybe some will even make it into the fall.
One Of The Orchids.. Is in it's straggly stage. It had produced several secondary branches and blooms, but they are not as showy as the first blooming. As you can see below, there are only a couple of flowers perched at the end of some very long bloom stems. The terminal ends (the tips) are continuously forming a single bud and flower, very slowly. Originally the plant was filled with a dozen or more blooms, almost at the same time.
Here you can see where the two flowers sit and behind them, on the stem, areas where the original 8-10 flowers have fallen off. This may continue to bloom like this for quite a while, but it is almost necessary to cut them off, to let the plant recover from all of this flower production. It takes a lot of energy in order to produce flowers, so the plant (roots and foliage) may suffer through the process.
Again, I really should have cut off the bloom stems when it was finished the primary blooming cycle, but did not. Since then, the plant has started to show signs of stress. In the photos below, root and foliage stress is quite noticeable.
The roots are beginning to shrink and turn a light grey. They should be a nice light green color and appear plump. The ones you see here are sort of wrinkly looking.
The leaves are also starting to loose their rigidity and appear limp and wrinkly as well. They are also showing signs of a nutrient deficiency, as observed through the light and dark spotty areas on the leaf's surface. Once the blooms are cut off, the plant is rehydrated, and the dead plant material (not visible and under the planting media) is removed, the plant will make a full recovery.
I brought another Orchid back from the dead.. A while back. She was severely stressed and let me know by dropping all of her buds and beginning to wither away. I had to give her a major clean up and repotting. My wife and I would also place her in and out of a watering cycle to try and rejuvenate the dehydrated plant.
It took a long time for her to come out of the stressed condition, but she's looking good so far. new leaves have emerged and the plant has produced some new roots as well. The road is long, but an abrupt end is no longer in sight. Blue Skies Ahead!
The Full Lineup.. They are all still enjoying their spots on the wall that separates our kitchen from the living room. The exception being Pepper's Sympathy Orchid, which has a place on our breakfast table.
The Succulents and Other Topicals ..
Nestled into the corner near our sliding glass door, have the best view in the house. They look out over the back yard, while absorbing those bright rays of sunshine. Nothing here to note as far as blooming goes. The only thing happening at the present time is lots of growing and chlorophyll production.
The Cactus .. has put on considerable growth since I repotted it last summer. 6-8 inches of new growth have formed above the seasoned prickly skin of years past. The entire cactus is about 3.5 feet high. At this rate of growth, we'll have to repot it again soon!
The Plumeria .. Is also in the middle of a rapid growth spurt, that started early this spring. I had wanted to put the plant outdoors this year, but being that I did not repot her, the summer winds could topple it and ultimately damage it. I don't want to risk plant destruction, so it will remain here until it is moved to a deeper and heavier pot.
A White Bird Of Paradise .. Back in the very corner, sits a White Bird Of Paradise. It may never bloom due to being restricted in such a small pot. These species tend to get VERY TALL. It just can't do that here, but still adds to the tropical feel we were going for. Right there in the center, is a new leaf that has sprouted up. In the moment it uncurls, there will be a pop and then what sounds like paper being shuffled around. If I am in the room when it happens, it will take me by surprise, like it has so many other times.
The Others .. I have some other tropical plants sitting there and they are happy doing their thing. Nothing much to report on them. We water them, tend to their needs and hope that one day they will be happy enough to produce a bloom or two.
If not, at the very least ..
They make the room and our lives feel WARM and FULL.
I Can't Ask For More Than That?!
“In the rain forest, no niche lies unused. No emptiness goes unfilled. No gasp of sunlight goes untrapped. In a million vest pockets, a million life-forms quietly tick. No other place on earth feels so lush. Sometimes we picture it as an echo of the original Garden of Eden—a realm ancient, serene, and fertile, where pythons slither and jaguars lope. But it is mainly a world of cunning and savage trees. Truant plants will not survive. The meek inherit nothing. Light is a thick yellow vitamin they would kill for, and they do. One of the first truths one learns in the rain forest is that there is nothing fainthearted or wimpy about plants.”
― Diane Ackerman, The Rarest of the Rare: Vanishing Animals, Timeless Worlds
Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!
All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.
The Orchid Lovers Community!
Love Orchids? Consider joining our community. We look forward to seeing you there!!!
The Orchid Lovers Community
A place for people who Love Orchids!
