AboutOrchids

As we continue to shelter in place and stay close to home, Dave and I have been taking walks around nearby neighborhoods, and enjoying great Pacifica gardens. Of course, we follow public health guidelines, keeping a safe distance, and wearing masks when we’re near other people, but these areas aren’t crowded, so it’s easy. While […]

From London, RBG Kew explains how sneaky orchids can be. Many orchid varieties offer nectar or fragrant oils for their pollinators, but others are tricksters. Their colors, shapes, or scents deceptively advertise rewards, but they have none. Some temporarily trap their pollinators, like the remarkable Bucket Orchid, which makes bees squeeze past its pollen to […]

The Pink Lady Slipper, or Cypripedium acaule, used to grow wild in the Philadelphia area, but now is uncommon. It’s one of the most enchanting and elegant orchids native to the Eastern USA and Canada. When local plants were discovered last June, experts from nearby Longwood Gardens jumped into action. They hand-pollinated the flowers, and […]

Are you staring with amazement at your gorgeous Mother’s Day orchid, and also wondering how to care for it? Don’t worry! Orchids don’t deserve their difficult reputations. It’s pretty likely that your new plant is a Moth Orchid, like those in the row of photos above. With a few basic care tips, it can continue […]

When Dave visited Singapore last year, he found lots of green spaces filled with lush, tropical beauty. The nature park at Gardens by the Bay was one extraordinary example, with plants on the ground, and also up in the air on Supertrees. As epiphytes, or air plants, orchids are well-suited for living up high. Many […]

As we begin May, I’ll repeat that if any orchid shows are still happening, you shouldn’t go. I don’t know when big public events will be safe, but it’s still too soon. COVID19 is not contained, and the risks are too great. Orchid shows can wait. So what to do in the meantime? There’s certainly […]