AboutOrchids

Mother’s Day orchids are even better when you know that most are easy to care for. With a few orchid basics, you can enjoy their flowers for weeks, or even months.

Watering – Remove wrapping paper or decorative containers, at least temporarily, if they block the pot’s drainage holes. Drench the plant with room-temperature water, and let all excess drain out. Don’t let the flowerpot sit in water for too long, or the orchid’s roots may rot.

High humidity – Orchids need water vapor in the air and good air movement. Dry air can damage flowers and attract pests. To raise humidity, group plants together, or put plants in a humid place like a bathroom or kitchen. Use a cool mist humidifier, or a spray mister. Place flowerpots on top of a layer of pebbles in trays of shallow water, always keeping the pots above the water level.

Identifying your orchid – The most popular varieties are Moth Orchids, like those in the first row of photos above. Lady Slippers in the second row are also favorites. Cattleyas are in the third row, and are known as the classic corsage orchids. The final row of pictures shows a Cymbidium, a Coelogyne, and a Masdevallia, and there are many more. They all come in many colors, sizes, and patterns, so use these images as general guidelines, not exact models. Once you know what kind of orchid you have, you can learn more about its care needs. And have a happy Mother’s Day!

When it comes to spring blooms in our garden, the Masdevallias really stand out. There are still some Cymbidiums flowering, and the Epidendrums never stop, but these brilliant colors steal the show.

The orange flowers belong to a hybrid, Masdevallia ignea x falcata. Some of the blooms are battered by the elements, but they last for months anyway. The purple and yellow ones belong to two different plants which are variants of the same species, Masdevallia coccinea. Unlike many of their miniature Pleurothallid relatives, they boast large flowers. Standing on tall stems, they wave in the breeze like colorful orchid flags. These magical Masdevallias are certainly the stars of the show.

The world’s largest glasshouse is open for business again!  Plant lovers can once again lose themselves in the newly refurbished Temperate Greenhouse at Kew Gardens in London. The 1863 building has been repaired many times, but this time it was thoroughly modernized. The Temperate Greenhouse dwarfs the nearby Palm House and Princess of Wales Conservatory. Thousands of plants, many endangered, have been returned from temporary homes after a 5-year renovation. Check out two BBC videos below about the news and Kew’s botanical wonders.

Celebrate orchids all around the globe with this month’s shows. Many events are great for Mother’s Day outings and gift-buying opportunities. All are great chances to see incredible flowers, take photos, and talk to orchid experts.

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Green flowers are always a little surprising. They blend in with the leaves, but then there’s a glimpse of color, or a distinctive flower shape, and a blossom emerges into view. Of course, the vast, diverse orchid family has plenty of green flowers. This post shows just a few. Bright green, light green, yellowish green — no matter the shade, they are spectacular.

Some types are completely green; others include white, yellow, purple, red, or pink. I’ve seen many green Lady Slippers and Cymbidiums. There are Cattleya, Dendrobium, and Epidendrum varieties with green blooms. Many Zygos contain green, and some members of the Angraecum family have light green flowers. And there are a lot more.

Green blooms are unusual. Although it’s such a common color in nature, green isn’t typically associated with flowers. For orchids with a special surprise, think green.

Visit exotic jungles at the Orchids of New Guinea website. Famous as the home of Birds of Paradise, the world’s largest tropical island is also full of botanical wonders. Over 2000 species of orchids grow everywhere, from coastal forests to towering mountain ranges. Their incredible diversity is apparent in the website’s image gallery, which has thousands of photos and illustrations, with new ones added regularly. Explore New Guinea from the comfort of your computer, and enjoy amazing orchids from an amazing land.

Wouldn’t it be great to take an orchid vacation? The Orchid Conservation Alliance (OCA) regularly sponsors trips to exotic lands with experts who guide orchid tours. These trips feature orchids in their native habitats, and raise money for conservation projects. Tours are limited to 15 people maximum. Future trips include Yunnan, China in May, and Colombia’s Northern Andes in November. More are planned for Madagascar, Brazil, Peru, and Costa Rica.

The OCA is a fantastic non-profit organization worthy of support. Learn more about taking an orchid vacation. You can also help the OCA by becoming a member.

Fortunately, Coelogyne orchids are easier to grow than they are to pronounce. This glorious genus of orchids originates in Southeast Asia, in a large area stretching from India and China to Indonesia, New Guinea, the Philippines, and Fiji. Many varieties have tumbling cascades of fragrant blooms. Their brilliantly-colored flower lips often feature weird ridges and frills. These photos represent less than a dozen of over 200 Coelogyne species.

To pronounce Coelogyne, say “see-LODGE-in-ee.” Their wide range spans different habitats, and there are varieties for warm, intermediate, and cool conditions. Many which come from the Himalayas grow well as outdoor plants in the SF Bay Area, and other cool, foggy climates. The flower in the final photo below belongs to a Coelogyne mooreana plant which has reliably bloomed outdoors for me for over a decade. Its perfumed flowers last more than a month. (The other photos are from orchid shows and botanical gardens.)

Coelogynes need regular waterings during spring and summer. Give them bright light, including some morning sun. They enjoy regular fertilizer, high humidity, and good air movement. Warm growers do not have a dormant season, but water should be reduced for cool and intermediate growers over winter. These impressive orchids will inspire you to have Coelogyne rolling off your tongue.

South Africa’s Mail & Guardian details the problems of soaring vanilla prices in Madagascar. Vanilla is the orchid that we all love to eat, and the cost of vanilla beans has been rising for years. Droughts and cyclones have contributed to increases. But what might be a boon for the economy also brings a lot of danger. One farmer explains that “The higher the price of vanilla, the earlier in the year the robbers come to tear the pods off the vine.” Farmers are often robbed, and sometimes even killed for their crop.

As it’s grown more expensive, vanilla has become tied to other illicit activities as well. The beans are used for money laundering in the illegal rosewood trade, and vanilla farming contributes to deforestation. Speculators hoard beans to await higher prices. Read more about Madagascar’s problems in a separate article in The Guardian.

April is a busy month for orchids, with major events in London, Dublin, Singapore, Philly, Toronto, Capetown and many more. Of course, bigger isn’t always better. I’m guessing that the orchids & chocolate show in little La Capelle, France would be deliciously fantastic, too.

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