Confessions of a Former Orchid Disdainer - Orchid Board

AnnetteMc · #1 06-23-2012, 09:54 PM

It's true. When the only thing to paint in my watercolor class was an orchid, I just sat the class out. Those blooms were - too perfect, too symmetrical, not nearly enough character and way too conventional (think high school prom), and totally uninspiring. Yes, that is what I thought - at the time. Then my mother-in-law offered two "dead" orchid plants she'd thrown in one of her flowerbeds. Said to throw an ice cube on them occasionally.

Never being one to resist a challenge or the potential satisfaction of rescuing a plant, I accepted them, and I'll be darned if one of them didn't send out a flower spike and start blooming! Nothing like receiving a little plant love to spark an outright affair. The rest is history. I now own 8 orchids plus two minis and I just bought my first cattleya at the farmer's market this morning. I've acquired most of them, though, from my m-in-law, with whom I change several of them out regularly so she can consistently have blooming ones in her home. These plants seem to LOVE my sun room and most of them are in bloom most of the time. Other than having the dumb luck to (apparently) have the right lighting environment (and having ditched the ice cube watering technique which just sounded so wrong on so many levels and clearly hadn't worked for my m-in-law) I've no clue what I'm doing.

The phals, bless their hearts, don't seem to notice. So, I'm joining Orchid Board in hopes of living up to their faith in me. Oh - and I absolutely delight now in seeing all those beautiful blooms sitting in the window sill of my sun room. I will no doubt even paint them one day.

My phals and I thank you for being here to help. Annette

WhiteRabbit · #2 06-23-2012, 10:36 PM

Glad you found us!

Hehe - great story! Lucky you to have a sunroom! I bet the orchids just love it! We love to see pix, so don't be shy about showing off your babies!

JaneEyre · #3 06-24-2012, 12:03 AM

Welcome, Welcome!

Yes, we love to see others orchid pictures. Feel free to share

Bud · #4 06-24-2012, 12:15 AM

WELCOME ABOARD!

Sit back and relax....read posts of the other members and learn from their years of experience on growing orchids....
we all love to see pictures of you flowers.

bellini girl · #5 06-24-2012, 12:36 PM

and

to the board. Great story. Next step, pull out the

hoto and start buying even more orchids

kevin1217 · #6 06-24-2012, 12:47 PM

You will learn a lot here! Pics please!

nenella · #7 06-24-2012, 01:09 PM

Lovely story!

to OB!

Zoi2 · #8 06-24-2012, 04:19 PM

Hello and welcome.
Joann

RosieC · #9 06-25-2012, 05:56 AM

Welcome to Orchid Board

Any yes you are right about ditching the ice-cube method, great to hear your success

AnnetteMc · #10 07-03-2012, 12:17 PM

Have tried to upload photos numerous times. Still working on it. Birth of second grandchild this past weekend has stalled matters further, but I'll eventually get'em up. I managed to get one on my User CP, but it appears it is too big to post on the forum. I'll figure it out. Thanks for all the greetings. (All orchids still alive.)