Adventures in Orchids
October 22, 2012 |
| Danger! |
Finally we had
some gorgeous, fall-like weather this weekend, so my husband, mother-in-law and
I checked out an orchid show and sale at the USF Botanical Gardens in Tampa .
Lucky for us, there were only 12 vendors. We still managed to buy six orchids.
It’s a sickness, I tell you.
My husband and I go for variety in both size and color. I’m
partial to scented orchids, my husband likes the dramatic and unusual ones. (If
it’s variety you want, orchids are your flower: according to Wikipedia, orchids
are one of the largest families of flowering plants, with more than 20,000
species found in 880 genera. Horticulturalists have produced more than 100,000
hybrids and cultivars since the introduction of tropical species in the 19th
century.)
The new additions joined their brethren on our lanai where I
hope they’ll be happy. One of my next chores needs to be writing down what
types of orchids I have and what conditions they like.
I never thought I’d be interested in orchids. I’ve always preferred
flowers like peonies, hydrangeas, roses. I can’t grow those here in Florida —at
least not very successfully. (I’ve also become resigned to the lack of tulips
and daffodils in my life.) But I can grow orchids—they thrive in our humid
climate, so I’m going with the flow. If I can’t have a cottage garden, I’ll
have a tropical one instead. At least I have flowers.
Here are the new additions. This one is tiny:
 |
| Oncidium Tsiki Marguerite |
At the other extreme, this vanda is huge:
This one, also a vanda, is scented:
Just love the color of this:
 |
| Miltassia C.M. Fitch ‘Izumi’...or so says the label... |
This was unlabeled, but I think it’s a phaleonopsis:
I don’t know what this is, either, and am not sure of what
the label says. Any ideas?
It felt good to be outside (and not be sweaty), to drink in the beauty of the flowers, to be with people I love, while at the same time fanning my passion for orchids. A satisfactory Saturday.
How have you fed your passions lately?
6 comments
What gorgeous orchids!
ReplyDeleteI know--it was hard not to come home with more.
ReplyDeleteHermosas flores,en mi país crecen como plantas silvestres,Son la flor Nacional.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to go but went to Boktoberfest instead....It was great!
ReplyDeleteBraulio--Unfortunately, I don't speak Spanish, but according to Google Translate, your comment reads: "Beautiful flowers. In my country, they grow as wild plants, are the national flower."
ReplyDeleteMy response: How lovely it would be to see these growing wild. Thank you for stopping by to visit. Google translates this to: "¡Qué hermoso sería ver a estos productos silvestres. Gracias por venir a visitar."
Sharon--Was Boktoberfest at Bok Tower Gardens? I'll bet that was great. Such a wonderful garden.
ReplyDelete