This Phalaenopsis orchid has lived in our bathroom as long as we have lived in our house. The builder gave it to us as a housewarming gift, and it has been on a shelf by the bathtub for the past thirteen years.
Orchids, from what I can remember having read in 'The Orchid Thief', are essentially immortal: they can simply keep growing and growing, if conditions are tolerable.
This flower stem is about six months old already. I kept meaning to get a photo of it, and finally got around to it. The bathtub made a fair background for photos.
It bloomed the first couple of years we had the plant, then took a hiatus of about eight years because I severely under watered it. Having finally noticed (after eight years) that it was not blooming, I started watering it more, and watering it with distilled water instead of our high pH, high calcium content water. Whereupon it started blooming again.
I'm happy it's happy.
Another very long-lived plant is Yucca 'Margaritaville', which has also taken time to get around to blooming.
The tough no-nonsense plant is in great contrast to the lavish stem of flowers it sends up.
The grand flower stalk is surprisingly short-lived. I thought perhaps months, like an Agave, or at least weeks, like an Aloe, but the stem is already looking tired, about 10 days after it started to open.
Nice while it lasts, though.
The Yucca is up on the west slope. Climbing up to take photos gave me quite a view. I looked down to see Natasha at her watchpost:
And then the front garden and the dry hills beyond, more visible now that the Cercis are gone. I'm only pulling three or four Cercis seedlings a day now.
The Phalaenopsis actually has a pretty good view of the hills there from the bathtub shelf; perhaps that makes a life in the bathroom tolerable.
REally love the long view of your garden with the hills beyond. Beautiful. I have a few phalaenopsis orchids that have been here since 1985 or so... Amazing and tough plants.
ReplyDeleteThey are truly tough plants if kept within their temperature range--who would have thought?
Deletegeez I have a terrible time getting my orchids to live and I have the perfect conditions...how often do you water and how do you soak? nice yucca.....and lovely views!
ReplyDeleteI keep it on the dry side--too dry, really. A splash of water once a week, the humidity from the shower. Soak--are you supposed to soak them?!?
DeleteVery special to have the orchid for so many years. I was in the gardencentre at friday and the owner wanted to trow away 4 orchids because they were almost out of flowers. I could take them home and I hope they are bringing me flowers some day.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photo's Hoover.
Have a wonderful sunday.
That is so nice you were able to rescue orchids from the trash! Enjoy them, they can bloom again.
DeleteI *might* consider life in a bathroom if I was assured of that view. I adore those dry California hills and the contrasting green foreground. Speaking of contrasts, that's a robust yucca ya got there!
ReplyDeleteThat orchid is such a resilient plant, so special to have it for so long and pleased to see it has finally bloomed again. I'm still on the look out for a Margaritaville here, a gorgeous variegated Yucca!
ReplyDelete