Since some of you have requested more information about orchids I thought I would dedicate at least one post to those beautiful, mysterious, and wonderful plants.
When my wife and I moved to Kansas City in the fall of 2002 we had never grown an orchid though we were both dedicated plant nuts. A weekend visit to Powell Gardens just east of KC in January of 2003 gave us our first up-close introduction to Orchids. Not only did they have this amazing display showing off the endless variety there are they even had some for sale. I know image that. Well there was this one plant that was a mass of golden yellow flowers on multiple sprays that was delicate and amazing so we bought it and brought it home.
Six weeks later that plant was still in full glorious bloom and we were hooked. We started looking for a Kansas City Orchid Club and I can tell you if there is a flower Kansas City has a club for it.
It was fall of 2003 before we could make it to a meeting of the Greater Kansas City Orchid Society. For those of you wanting to check it out after this see the web site here.
What we have learned over the years is that growing Orchids is not all that difficult once you understand that they are not like other house plants.
The first thing many people notice, after the amazing flowers, is the roots of most Orchids. Orchids are epiphytic, that is, their roots are aerial. They don’t grow on the forest floor the grow up in the tree canopy clinging to any branch or bark of a host tree. So if you repot an Orchid as if it were a garden geranium you will kill it. Ours get planted in a mixture of coca bark, charcoal and perlite. Or just tied to a branch with some nylon string and a small piece if moss.
In the winter they are inside of course and we’ve enclosed a porch area on the south side of our house just for them. With extra insulation and wall of windows and a tile floor we can keep the light levels high enough and the humidity up in the 70% range.
In the summer months they reside under a pergola on our back deck with an automated sprinkler system so that they get rained on twice a day.
Unlike most other plant species Orchids do come in almost any color you can imaging. For example roses and most summer flowers are red, yellow or white and combinations of those colors but never will you find one in a true blue. On the other end of the scale irises come in a multitude of blue, white and yellow colors but not red.
Orchids do have a scent depending upon the species. Some can be intoxicating they are so strong smelling and those scent can be almost anything from rose scent, to lilac scent. To chocolate scent (what could be more perfect huh) to a scent specifically designed to attract flies…yes it smells rather bad.
One of the more interesting things about Orchids and Kansas City is that right here we have one of the most amazing Orchid growers in the world and one that people have traveled hundreds of miles just to see. Bird Botanical specializes in Orchids and their greenhouse is inside a cave at 23rd St. and I-435. Inside the cave he can control everything from how long the daylight hours are to exact temperature and humidity. If you ever get the chance you really should stop in and see them. One word of caution though, Orchids can be addicting.
Those are beautiful! But they sound like a lot of work... I have killed a cactus so I should probably leave the orchid growing to people like you....
ReplyDeleteWow! Your orchids are amazingly breathtaking, Tom! My mother taught my son and I the enjoyment that comes with caring for and growing plants. We have many kinds indoors and out but no orchids. I am definitely intimidated by the amount of care the orchids require, but it sounds like you have it down to a science. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteTom... I am so mad at myself. I received a beautiful orchard when my mom passed away in February. I was blown away, not just by it's beauty... but by the fact that 6, even 8 weeks later... it still looked as lovely as the day I got it. But today, I'm ashamed to report, there are more petals on the floor than on the plant. Life got busy, it's in a room I don't necessarily go in everyday... yada yada yada... I screwed up Tom! Can you help me?
ReplyDeleteUnlike my Mom, I don't have a green thumb and tend to kill every plant that I've ever received. I'm always amazed when I see people with stunning plants that actually thrive under their care. Your orchids are beautiful but I always assumed that they were extremely hard to maintain. Maybe like everything else in life, they require care and attention in order to grow.
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