Thursday, March 05, 2009

Making the Beauty Last



My beautiful orchid is thriving. It just keeps adding more and more blooms and none of the original ones have shriveled up. Even the green vine that holds it up is doing well. I will forever be indebted to Gewels and Bulletholes for giving me my first chance to grow an orchid.

The amaryllis on the other hand got enormously tall and flopped over because of its own weight. At its peak it was a proliferation of huge orange blossoms. I kept tying them up, but finally decided it was hopeless. So I cut off the long stalks to allow the plant to put its energy into the new shoots it's sending up.

Both of these plants seem perpetually thirsty. I'm just watering them on demand and they seem to like it. I'm learning a lot about how to grow exotic plants from these two and loving the beauty they add to my house!

14 Comments:

Blogger Kate said...

My understanding is that most people are "afraid" of growing orchids thinking they are difficult to deal with. You either have the magic touch or the magic spot in your home for it. It is mystical in its beauty. My only experience with an amaryllis was years ago. Frank's sister sent one at Christmas. All I remember is coming downstairs each morning to see it in the kitchen: it always seemed to have grown 12 inches overnight and it scared both of us. Like yours it finally fell over one day due to the weight of the blossoms and stems. Unlike you, we tossed it because its growth freaked us out so much!
:)

11:28 AM  
Blogger Barbara said...

Kate -- Whereas the orchid is subtle in its growth, I can almost see the amaryllis growing. They are both incredible plants!

11:33 AM  
Blogger bulletholes said...

wow, kate thats like something out of "Little Shop of Horrors"!

2:14 PM  
Blogger red dirt girl said...

Oh Barbara,

The orchids are gorgeous! I have yet to attempt growing them - I have an unusually brown thumb for a former landscape architect. It might have something to do with a tendency to not water often enough ....

I loved the post regarding the tying of your shoes. Funny how the little things in life become important when illness strikes. Kudos for your creativity in solving the problem - and your eventual success!

Here's to more successes on your journey to recovery!

xxx
rdm

2:38 PM  
Blogger Lemmonex said...

Oh this is so pretty. I want one!

3:19 PM  
Blogger Kristin said...

So gorgeous! I fear I have a black thumb when it comes to plants; yours are beautiful.

4:42 PM  
Blogger Avid Reader said...

That orchid loves you

7:52 PM  
Blogger Avid Reader said...

That orchid loves you

7:53 PM  
Blogger Pauline said...

Beautiful flowers! Green growing things and blooms always cheer me up.

6:46 AM  
Blogger karen said...

wow, i envy you for being able to keep gorgeous gifts in pots not only alive, but also flowering!! beautiful...

10:23 AM  
Blogger Steve Reed said...

I've never tried an orchid. I hear they're actually pretty easy, but as dry as our heated houses are in the northeast I really wonder. I've heard that setting them on pebbles in trays of shallow water help increase the humidity around them -- as long as they're not sitting IN the water -- but what do I know?

11:39 AM  
Blogger GEWELS said...

I'm so glad you like it!!!!
I absolutely LOVE orchids.

I would get rid of most of my knick knacky possessions and just surround myself with orchids. They make me happy when I look at them.

12:08 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Those flowers are stunning! Healthy life growing around you as you heal is a good thing, in my book!

XO,

F.

10:01 PM  
Blogger Gary said...

Wow! That really is beautiful. Well done. I only ever got one bloom at a time on an orchid and most of the time is is a rather unattractive plant. Good for you.

7:48 PM  

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