The Fairy Slippers are Blooming!

[ronaldhanko]

Went out Friday and again yesterday to see the Fairy Slippers at Washington Park near Anacortes and will be going again in a few weeks to see them with the Washington Native Orchid Society at Deschutes Falls.



Native Orchids of the Pacific Northwest and the Canadian Rockies: Fairy Slippers in Washington Park

[Tindomul]

Wow, nice stuff, I can't believe people picked them out, doesn't everyone know not to do that. Its just bad manners to say the least. Even worse with orchids. I hope they didn't pick out the underground growth.

[ronaldhanko]

Thanks for commenting, Tindo. As far as we could tell they did not dig them up, just picked the flowers. The shame of it is that the flowers, when picked, don't even last long enough to get them home and into a vase and the plants if dug up and replanted will not grow.

[Tindomul]

Terrible!

[WhiteRabbit]

how wonderful!

yes, such a shame people would pick them

[ronaldhanko]

Thanks, Sonya, for commenting. We were really sad and angry to see what had happened. We've seen it before, too, in very fragile environments like the tundra (and in a National Park as well).

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

People don't know how short lived the flowers are. They think flowers from Fairy Slippers last as long as those of Phals or something and they really don't.

They only last about a few days (anywhere within a week).

[ronaldhanko]

People don't know how short-lived they are - that's true - Philip, but what is the point of picking the flowers in a park? I would think that most people who have a modicum of common sense or who have been around for a while know that you don't pick the flowers in any kind of park, city, state national, whether they're native or planted..

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

For some people, it's not common sense, unfortunately. Education is key.

[ronaldhanko]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

For some people, it's not common sense, unfortunately. Education is key.

That's true, and a generation ago people may not have known, but in our society there is little excuse for not knowing - signs, education, common sense, the fact that they are there for everyone...