A Month Is Long Enough ..

Yes.. It has been that long since the last update.. And I suppose it rings true that time flies when you're having fun. I just haven't been having any fun, so I don't know why time is passing so quickly? Hahaha.. No.. I'm having a little bit of fun this summer. It's been a bit of an odd summer for us with the cool start to the season, no real travel plans made, and the fact that my work schedule is much different and demanding. Other than that it has been all fun in the sun! hehe. Long story short, I felt it was the perfect time for an Orchid Update.

Hippieness In The Masses ..

Masses of Orchids that is.. All huddled into the small corner of our breakfast nook. The sun is bright and strong here most of the day, so our sun loving Orchids prefer it here. BUT! As you can see lying there on the floor, our 'Hawaii Stripes' Dendrobium has decided it was time to start dropping her flowers. The big ending of the blooms has begun.

Let's not be so dramatic.. right? Try telling this plant that. hahaha All joking aside, it's always sad to see the blooms come to an end, but it is destined to happen at some point. We CAN NOT complain. We brought this gal home on March 12th, and it was just starting to open up then. So that was 4 long months of beautiful blooms we were able to enjoy. One most certainly can not complain about that!

By the looks of things, we have another week or two and they will all be found 'Dramatically' lying on the floor...

This is not the only thing going on with this 'Hawaii Stripes' Dendrobium .. She has also been hard at work developing a couple of new shoots. The last time I brought them to your attention, 30 days ago, they were only tiny 2-3 inch shoots. They have grown a ton since then. They are almost full sized shoots that are starting to open up at the tips.

It seems to be doing quite fine in its spot by the door.. So we do not plan on moving it or taking it out of the plastic pot it's been growing in. For now... lol.

Moving Along ..

The other Dendrobium in our collection, as well as the Cattleya Orchid .. Are both putting on new growth of their own as well. The Cattleya Orchid - Jewel Box - has one new shoot that is also beginning to open up at the tip to reveal new leaves. Sorry about the rather large tag in the front..will do better with the photo prep next time. lol For some reason I don't think this shoot likes the other ones. It is stretching way out to the side and away from it's friends.

And our other spindly Dendrobium Orchid with her baby shoot just pushing out. It has been a long time since this particular plant has done anything at all except sit pretty on the center island of the kitchen. I moved her to the floor for a better photo. The shoot is only a centimeter long, but I anticipate a steady and fast growth rate. The last shoot grew fairly quickly. I would really like to see her bloom again. I think it has been a few years since the last bloom cycle. The flowers would be a purple white like the other Dendrobium.

As for our soilless Vanda 'Pachara Delight' .. Nothing. Absolutely nothing new to report. Like the Dendrobium I just mentioned prior, she sits in her basket, hanging by the door, with no real changes to speak of. We continue to follow the Orchid farmers advice and water her everyday at the sink. It is pretty easy really. We just unhook, carry it over to the sink and then sprits her with a some luke-warm water before returning her to her happy place.

I'll End With The Phalaenopsis Orchids ..

They are doing AWESOME in my opinion .. They have come such a long way since I tried to kill them all with my brilliant idea to use lava rock as a growing media, while also changing their pots over to all glass. NOT a good idea at all. Learn from my mistakes folks! Anyhow.. they have turned the corner and are looking goooooood. Maybe not back to where they were prior to the near death experience, but they are looking very, very well.

They are loving their new terracotta pots with ample drainage and moisture holding and releasing capabilities. As you can see the rather large holes on the sides of the pots allow for the excess water to drain quickly, while also creating an environment that promotes air flow through the bark chips. I also added a touch of perlite into the bark mix as recommended by our friend the Orchid farmer. This material also allows for further water retention and release as needed.

I would like to pick up a few more of these from the store, but they ran out and haven't gotten them back in stock just yet. When they do I will repot a few others waiting their turn. I have those in standard terracotta pots for now.

New leaves and new roots - We are loving all of this new growth!!!

Here is the Phalaenopsis that is doing the best out of the bunch...

And the one that is not doing the best .. But still hopeful with it's tiny new leaf...

And Last But Not Least ..

The Guardian Of The Orchids!

The Orchid Princess Hard At Work!

The Protector ..

The Chosen One For Which Nothing Goes Unnoticed .....

Ummmmmmm...

MOLLY!!! WAKE UP!!!!

You were suposed to be carefully watching the Orchids for new updates. Our audience is counting on you.

I guess we all have things that are a bit more important than watching Orchids grow.

Case and Point.

“I put my head on his shoulder
‘Wh-what are you doing?’ he yells, shoving me away from him with wide eyes.
‘I was giving you a hug!’ I say.
‘Y-you-!’
‘Pff. D’you really think I’d do that? I’m trying to keep warm, idiot. You’re like my overgrown Furby.’
‘I’m in a human form, not my kytaen!’
‘Tomayto, tomahto.’ I come close to him.
He pushes me away. ‘You shouldn’t be doing that!’
‘What’s the problem? You said you’re my tool, right? Well, I’m cold, tool of mine, so why don’t you calm the hell down and give me some of that sweet, sweet warmth?’
‘Don’t touch me!’
‘I’m starting to think you’re self-conscious in this form. You let me cuddle you in your other-‘
‘We did not cuddle!’ he shouts.
I manage a grin. ‘Would you prefer I use a different word? Snuggle, maybe?”
― Giselle Simlett, Girl of Myth and Legend

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

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