I love orchids because

[Mugsie]

I am an old fart. From my Avatar you can see I was in the military. I was a Sergeant in the Special Forces, and have been around the block on numerous occasions. I served and bled for this country. I've lived nightmares, yet my plants give me solace.

I enjoy nurturing them, watching the leaves grow, new roots forming and crawling and crawling outside the pots. I enjoy the flowers, because they validate my care, but I think I get more enjoyment on just nurturing plants that others have given up on, and bringing them back to health and beauty.

I like mixing up media, reporting and just puttering. Do any of you feel the same way? At peace when working with the plants and just enjoying their growth?

Stay well everyone and all the best in your endeavors.

[Dimples]

If you’re enjoying the restorative process of working with orchids, you should lookup horticultural therapy. It’s an entire therapy practice (like PT/OT/RT/etc) that uses the natural connections between people and plants to achieve therapeutic outcomes.

I completed the certificate program through the Horticultural Therapy Institute in CO, and did some side work for them. If it interests you, I can send you a book list.

Horticultural Therapy Institute

Not an add, nor am I suggesting you take the expensive course my last employer paid for!! Just passing along vetted resources.

[Leafmite]

I have not gone through what you have but I lost both of my parents in the past three years and it was hard. Spending time with my plants has really helped. This summer, I sat on the porch, just enjoying my plant collection all around me.

[Mountaineer370]

Mugsie, I feel the same way about caring for my plants, which currently include mostly orchids and a few African violets. I don't have the background or life experiences that you have, but I do have my own set of circumstances, some of which cause significant stress.

I never actually thought of caring for my plants as "horticultural therapy," as Dimples mentions, but I like that description.

Time spent with my plants is quiet and peaceful, restorative, satisfying. Sometimes it's fun and surprising like when I notice a new spike or something interesting going on with one of them. Sometimes it's challenging, too, as when repotting something that needs repotting but I can't find a big enough pot.

So, yes, I love my orchids and love caring for them. They bring beauty to my house and are a constant indoor connection to the living world, and my only regret is that I do not have the room to have more.

[rbarata]

Originally Posted by Mugsie

I get more enjoyment on just nurturing plants that others have given up on, and bringing them back to health and beauty.

I do feel the same. In fact I don't like to read or listen people saying they will trash orchids or any plant in general. Obviously there's cases where recovery is impossible or when it has some fatal disease, but in general, I find it a selfish attitude.

There's nothing better than recover a dying plant and see it bloom.

While there's green there's hope!

[DeaC]

Firstly, TY for your service. My take on this is that there's so much going on in the world that I have no control over. Plants in general make me happy but orchids surprised me and gave me confidence when I saw results. Nothing old or farty 'bout that!

[Mugsie]

Thank you all for your kind thoughts and helpful suggestions. I find I'm with kindred spirits here as well as when tending to my orchids.

Like some of you, I too have other plants besides orchids, and I love them all the same. At times I find myself talking to my plants extensively. They respond by keeping quiet and listening! ;-)

I will look into the Horticultural Therapy as it seems to be something along the lines of what I do already. Many years ago, there was a book published called "the Secret Life of Plants." A lot of people trashed it at the time, but as the years progressed, they are discovering there is a lot of truth in what it was saying. I know some of it is a stretch, but there is so much we don't know about life and our interaction with nature (we are all connected on some level) that I'm sure there is a lot of truth in there too. I know my plants believe it cause they're always asking for more food, more light, more water, how bout a breeze day, hey! get this bug off of me....!

I won't ramble, but again, thank you for your comments. It's nice to know others feel the same way as I do.

Stay well all and keep on tending to your plants.....

[WaterWitchin]

I've been a plant loving old fart since childhood. Not just orchids... I wants AAALLLL the plants. Now that I truly own the old fart category, I find myself mumbling and grumbling about pulling weeds and pruning and constantly watering the scorched earth (Kansas has been doing a dust bowl reprise this year). It's a passion, a way of life, and presumably good therapy because it keeps me balanced. Every year when spring begins, I promise myself NO new plants outside! Will let you guess how that turns out for me...every.damned.year.

Then fall hits and I'm done outside until spring. I start repotting orchids, houseplants, and tend to my inside gardens more. Most should suffer from benign neglect, but they've learned my rhythms over the years and move right along with me... me mumbling and grumbling about LECA rolling across the floor, scrubbing algae off glass, repotting stuff out of season. The plants inside just shrug their shoulders and think it's okay, it's just the way she is.

Husband was Special Forces for 14 years and "retired" at forty to commence life as a disabled vet. It's hard on the body, ain't it? He wants nice plants, grass, greenery, around him... but just wants it to happen. His "therapy" is animals... his own pack to take care of and nurture. On a strict schedule, of course, because military will do that to ya. His passion has always been taking care of and guarding the flock.

At end of day following one's passion, the therapy part just naturally flows along with it. I'm happy you've found yours, and grateful for me and mine.

[Mugsie]

WaterWitchin - tell your husband DOL (De Opresso Libere)! I too am a 100% disabled vet. I was wounded while serving at Ba Xoai in 1969 (A421) up on Nui Cam Mt.

Us SF guys are far and few between.

It's funny, that you mention leca rolling across the floor because I've done that routine a lot myself. I find the best way to find all those little suckers, it to wait till nightfall, then in the dark, walk around barefoot. You'll find them!

Stay well my friend. All the best you your husband. Make sure he's getting all the benefits he's earned through the VA. If not, I can help you as I am a Service Officer for the VFW, American Legion and the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

Stay well.

[WaterWitchin]

He's 100% as well. Yes, special forces is a small and elite group. Have to be one or know one very well to truly appreciate it. Y'all are almost as amazing as my daddy was. (A Squid)