Are you an allergy sufferer who fears that your nose has confined you to a life of plastic flowers? Orchids may be the answer. Allergic reactions to orchids are rare because they don’t have airborne pollen. Instead, their pollen clumps in waxy little balls called pollinia. Since it doesn’t float freely in the air, it’s […]
Dave and I enjoyed some wonderful blooms and delicious scents in Oakland last weekend. The Orchid Society of California has been around since 1937, and they know how to put on a show. Just to start, here’s a brilliant orange Epidendrum, a fuzzy yellow Paph, and a sweet smelling Cattleya. Even though it’s nearby, just […]
Check out the cover of this great 2011 wall calendar from the Orchid Conservation Alliance (OCA.) I’ve blogged about the OCA’s great work to conserve orchids and their habitats. Now you can support them by buying this beautiful monthly calendar. It’s full of hundreds of photos of incredible scenery from Ecuador’s cloud forests, including lots […]
For almost 90 years, the American Orchid Society (AOS) has promoted orchid enjoyment, education, research, and conservation. Now, like many of us, this great non-profit organization is struggling in the slow economy. If you’re not a member already, you can help by joining the AOS. Members receive benefits such as the award-winning magazine Orchids. Along […]
I’ll start today’s celebration of spring with a few nice photos. The first is a sweetly scented Iwanagara, a Cattleya hybrid. Next is a Paph species native to China, and then a Jasmine that’s bursting into bloom in our back garden. Here in San Francisco, we set a record high of 80F (27C) yesterday, and […]
As cut flowers and live plants, orchids are more popular than ever for Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year. No matter whether you’re celebrating love, the Year of the Tiger, or both, here are some orchid buying tips: Moth Orchids and Lady Slippers are great choices since their blooms can last for months, and they […]
“Buy a hybrid” is good advice when you’re buying a car, and also when you’re buying an orchid. Hybrids are great choices for Valentine’s gifts, especially for people new to orchids. They’re easier to grow and have showier flowers than most species. You can check out orchid buying basics in my previous posts here and […]
Last year when I blogged about orchids on a volcano, it was about Akatsuka Orchids on Hawaii’s Big Island. This time, the orchids are growing right on the rim of a volcanic crater. Dave took some great photos of wild orchids while we hiked the Kilauea Iki trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The first […]
It’s time for an exercise with your imagination. Before you start with Dave’s incredible photos from our recent trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, envision warm tropical weather and a welcoming spirit of aloha. Imagine sweet scents perfuming the air. You’re in the midst of the natural paradise of Art and Orchids Bed and […]
AeroGarden is my kind of modern appliance. It may be the size of a coffee maker, but instead of a hot beverage, it produces fresh flowers, herbs, and even vegetables. Besides doubling as your own personal, wintertime light and nature therapy, AeroGarden allows anyone with a little counter space to have a clean, automated indoor […]
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