Thursday, February 25, 2016

Confessions of an Orchid Killer Part 1

Considering that I say (in the description of my blog) that I blog about gardening, and my Twitter handle (or whatever you call it) is "RamblinGarden", I don't seem to blog too much about gardening.

Except on the 15th of the month, when I participate in Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

But that isn't enough.  I need to get back to my roots (pun intended) and do an occasional post about gardening.  So today, I have a true confession for my blog readers.  I've been inspired by Bethany over at Dandelion Pie, to confess something that I rarely talk about.

I'm an orchid killer.

That's right. Yes, I know they are supposed to be hard to grow, but I am a GARDENER.  A RAMBLINGARDENer.  I should be able to grow anything, right?

Wrong.

I am an equal opportunity orchid killer, too.  I have killed several Phalaenopsis (the common ones you see in your local supermarket), a Dendrobium, and even a Cattleya (and let's not forget the lady slipper my son killed for me, but that's another story) during my long orchid killing career.

Oh, I don't necessarily kill them right away.  I've had a couple of phalaenopsis rebloom but eventually, they all make their way to Orchid Heaven.


Until last year, I bought all my victims orchids at the local orchid show which is held either at the end of April or the beginning of May. I could not go to that show without coming back home with a plant in bloom, or with flowers getting ready to open, even though I knew what its eventual fate would be.   But my favorite vendor retired, and I decided to go orchidless last year.

Until I saw this plant at the local supermarket, in a display for Mother's Day, that is.  They were in a beautiful cachepot. I wanted to buy my mother in law a Mother's Day gift, too. At the time she lived some 150 miles from us.

Was the Orchid Killer about to strike again?

To be continued.

Have you ever succeeded in growing an orchid?

10 comments:

  1. I have four orchids left. I once had about 30. First I had mealy bugs attack them, which I banished, but not before losing several plants. I have been dealing with scale insects for several years. Just when I think I have succeeded in eradication, they attack another plant. When these four are dead, I give up.

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  2. IF your orchid only has a few green leaves and no flowers, you are not an orchid killer. Just maintaining that glass ceiling for it!

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  3. Only Orchid in my history of fatal flowers were on a corsage. Does Orchid Heaven take in African Violets? I hope so...for my sake as a Violet Violator!
    Sue at CollectInTexas Gal

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  4. Well, I just generally cannot seem to keep plants alive - orchids or not. So, I don't know what to say, except - good luck! :)

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  5. Oh dear! Keeping my fingers crossed for this orchid.

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  6. I have sent many of these lovely plants to Orchid Heaven.

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  7. I once killed a cactus. I wouldn't dream of trying to keep an orchid alive.

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  8. Orchids are definitely beautiful, but I've not been very successful with any flowers - indoors or out!
    Hope you succeed with yours!

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  9. Ha ha. I just stick with Philodendron . They're very hard to kill. I love flowers, but I'm not very good with indoor plants. Keep at it, Alana. I always enjoy your gardening posts.

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  10. haha, awww... good luck with your orchids!!! I've never planted any but we are trying out tomato plants this year!

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