If valentine romance is turning into worry over your new orchid, take heart. With a few care basics, orchids are as easy as common houseplants. Check out these tips, and then you can turn your thoughts back to your valentine. All orchids need high humidity. Dry air can lead to wilting flowers, drying leaves, and […]
Chocolate is a Valentine’s Day requirement for chocoholics like me, and is made from the seeds of a small tropical tree. It’s not an orchid, but it is a fascinating plant that’s long been cultivated in Central and South America. My favorite food comes from cocoa pods, the fruit of Theobroma cacao, also known as […]
Want to buy your valentine an orchid? Try vanilla! Don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting you buy a vanilla plant. As you can see from the healthy specimens at Vallarta Botanical Gardens, these heavy vines are best left to climb up tropical trees or hang in greenhouses. However, it is easy to buy a […]
That’s Spanish for “How beautiful!” It’s a frequently heard exclamation at Puerto Vallarta Botanical Gardens. These three members of the Cattleya family certainly inspire the thought. Vallarta Botanical Gardens contains jungle trails and a clear mountain river where you can cool off (don’t forget your bathing suit!) Surrounded by bougainvilleas of every hue, exotic palms, […]
Sunny beaches and tequila aren’t the only reasons to visit Mexico. Vallarta Botanical Gardens shows off the region’s wonderful biodiversity. It’s an easy bus or taxi ride from downtown Puerto Vallarta. Dave and I just returned from a great visit, and we took lots of pictures. First, of course, are the orchids. A sweetly scented […]
Orchid pros sometimes say that you’re not an orchid expert until you’ve killed your weight in orchids. Since I started growing them 20 years ago, I believe I’ve passed that benchmark, and here’s another for the scales. This African orchid, a Polystachya, looked fine in these 2006 photos. I bought this unusual specimen years ago […]
No long orchid name to battle here! Adas announce themselves with brilliant color. This mass of orange petals contains multiple flowers, and looks somewhat like a mound of shredded carrots. Fortunately, a solitary blossom also stands out for the camera. Related to Odontoglossums and Oncidiums, this Ada species is native to the Andes. It lives […]
The solstice seems a little like an afterthought this year. Winter’s early arrival across the northern half of the planet has kept record cold temps and snowfalls in the news. Here in SF, our winter rainy season started in earnest last month. Although the Phals and Cymbidiums are starting to grow flower spikes, not much […]
Blooming orchids make wonderful holiday gifts, and smart shoppers start by checking out these buying tips. Even after you’ve picked the right orchid, however, you may have a problem. Some people are terrified of orchids. I’ve seen an orchid gift provoke such fear in a friend’s eyes that it made me wonder if he would […]
If long Latin orchid names aren’t your thing, you’ll be happy to know that Odontoglossums are nicknamed Odonts (which rhymes with “no fonts.”) The Odont family includes over 100 species and countless human-made hybrids. Many varieties have long-lasting flowers. I’ve had this first one for years, and its brilliants pinks and yellows always take my […]
You are currently browsing the archives for the Photos category.
