Gardening: Dreaming about Orchids
Orchids are one of the most popular flowers all over the world for a reason: they're simply gorgeous. With over 25,000 varieties identified and more still being discovered, we won't have to worry about Orchids going anywhere anytime soon. Which means it's perfectly okay to fill your house with them, give them as gifts, and join the Orchid fan club with everyone else.
Orchids are the queen of all flowers because they are appropriate for really any event or occasion. Nothing is more chic than giving a big flowering Orchid as a gift, especially at the office where tastes and etiquette can be tricky. We recommend an all white arrangement- the more blooms the better. You really can't go worng, and who wouldn't like to receive a plant like the one pictured above?
Maybe the flowers are so chic because they are notoriously difficult to maintain. So what do you do when you receive an Orchid as a gift (or buy one for yourself) and want to keep it alive and thriving?
1. Sunlight. Orchids prefer moderate to heavy indirect sunlight. Keep them by an open window to keep them happy, you can always move them temporarily for decorating purposes when needed.
2. Alternative watering methods. Many people who maintain orchids swear by putting ice cubes on the plant anywhere from every other day to once a week. Since the water melts slowly, the roots have time to absorb everything at an even pace. This is exactly how Orchids like to drink their water! Sounds easy enough to us.
3. Orchid soil. You can buy Orchid-specific soil at the Nursery, or just buy large wood chips which allow the plant to drain and dry quickly after watering.
Although the varieties are diverse and drastic, the most common type of Orchid that you'll find at the grocery store are Moth Orchids. Believe it or not, Orchids take at least 7 years to grow flowers, so most of these plants you see at the store are around ten whole years old!
Having so many unique traits that differentiate them from other flowers, it's easy to see why people are obsessed with them. They inspired a movie about an orchid thief with Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep in 2002 called Adaptation. A few folks in South Carolina even started a kickstarter to create National Orchid day and reached their goal in one single day (April 16th in case you were wondering.)
Happy Orchid planting, and remember, these are plants that love to get love! Keep your flowers healthy and they can flower over and over many times.
