The
leaves were blackish green and the flower itself was glossy yellow,
the yellow of a newly waxed taxi, and it was spattered with
hundreds and hundreds of burgundy flecks. The flecks were slightly
ovoid, and they were clustered in curving rows so that they looked
as if they had been painted on as the flower spun around. Staring
at the pattern of the flecks was dizzying. Staring at it for a long
time was hypnotizing.
- Susan Orlean's
"The Orchid Thief"
The Orchid. Fragile. Elegant. Exotic.
For many, the
sheer nature and beauty of an orchid scares them away from the idea
of having an orchid as a houseplant. Orchids are one of the largest
plant families and the many varieties make for some very fussy
plants. But the truth is that there are some beautiful and common
varieties of this tropic wonder that you can care for in your own
home, a lot easier than you think.
The orchid variety that I own and I would suggest to others would be the Phaeaenopsis, or the moth orchid. It is said to be named this because it reminded Carolus Linnaeus of the Phalaena, which is a genus of large moths. Therefore this name both is similar in its formal name as well as make sense to be called a moth orchid, since its resemblance is much like a moth in flight.
This orchid is native to the tropics and in nature can be found hanging from their native trees. This is why the domesticated orchid can be found clipped to a branch to keep the blooming vine upright. Southeastern Asia, the Himalayan mountains, Northern Australia, islands of the Philippines and Taiwan are home to these exotic beauties.
How to pick out the right orchid.
Here's what you should look for in a healthy orchid...
How to care for them at home.
From their habitat, you would think that the orchid would not thrive indoors, or where it is not constantly hot. But the fact is that moth orchids love the interior temperature of most homes. Orchids love sunlight, as like any other plant, they grab their energy
from the sun's
rays. With plenty of sunlight, your orchid will have enough energy
to support its beautiful blooms for many months.
They do best in a southernly facing window where they can sun themselves indirectly in the morning and afternoon. The window should not be drafty. Although tropical plants, it is a good idea to let the orchids cool down at night, as this helps the plant restore and preserve its long lasting blooms.
The biggest problem people have is over watering their orchid. Moth orchid roots in nature are exposed to air, when over-watering occurs, the roots suffocate and start to rot. The easiest way to avoid this is to make sure your soil is a bark variety that allows for good drainage. You should only water your orchid once a week. You can judge when you need to water it by picking up the plant to see how heavy it is. If it feels light, touch the soil with your fingertips; it should be moist but not soppy. You don't want any standing water in your pot. You'll soon get into a routine with your orchid, and you'll notice that it's a lot less work to water than you would think.
Your orchid should flower every year if you take good care of it. These blooms last for anywhere between a month to nine months! So the extra you may pay for an orchid as opposed to a different houseplant is definitely worth it just by the amount of time you have to enjoy your orchid's blooms.
It may seem like you're paying a lot for a flower upfront, but the return of a flower that blooms for months on end, is exotic and easy to care for all at the same time makes it very worth it. Orchids add an exotic and beautiful style to any room.
Confucius once compared seeing good friends to entering a room full of fragrant orchids. Take good care of your orchid and it can live on to be as old as 150 years! Now that's a houseplant that's exotic, beautiful, easy to care for and a good investment!
References
Van Arsdale, Sarah. Caring for Orchids. <http://www.doityourself.com/stry/orchidists>
Real Simple Solutions. Caring for Orchids. <http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/content/0,21770,691562,00.html>
Wikipedia. Phalaenopsis. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalaenopsis>
Anyara-Aphorisms. Quotes on Orchids. <http://koti.mbnet.fi/neptunia/quotes/orchids1.htm>
Photos by Flickr Searched "Orchids".
The Orchid. Fragile. Elegant. Exotic.
For many, the
sheer nature and beauty of an orchid scares them away from the idea
of having an orchid as a houseplant. Orchids are one of the largest
plant families and the many varieties make for some very fussy
plants. But the truth is that there are some beautiful and common
varieties of this tropic wonder that you can care for in your own
home, a lot easier than you think.The orchid variety that I own and I would suggest to others would be the Phaeaenopsis, or the moth orchid. It is said to be named this because it reminded Carolus Linnaeus of the Phalaena, which is a genus of large moths. Therefore this name both is similar in its formal name as well as make sense to be called a moth orchid, since its resemblance is much like a moth in flight.
This orchid is native to the tropics and in nature can be found hanging from their native trees. This is why the domesticated orchid can be found clipped to a branch to keep the blooming vine upright. Southeastern Asia, the Himalayan mountains, Northern Australia, islands of the Philippines and Taiwan are home to these exotic beauties.
How to pick out the right orchid.
Here's what you should look for in a healthy orchid...
- Firm, strong, waxy, green leaves: Healthy leaves = healthy blooms
- If you see root, it should be plump and firm, not
scored
- Blooms: so you can see what you're getting, they should be smooth, never brown or wilting
- Buds: the promise of fresh blooms is always a perk, try to find
one that has lots of little buds for blossoms to come
How to care for them at home.
From their habitat, you would think that the orchid would not thrive indoors, or where it is not constantly hot. But the fact is that moth orchids love the interior temperature of most homes. Orchids love sunlight, as like any other plant, they grab their energy
from the sun's
rays. With plenty of sunlight, your orchid will have enough energy
to support its beautiful blooms for many months.They do best in a southernly facing window where they can sun themselves indirectly in the morning and afternoon. The window should not be drafty. Although tropical plants, it is a good idea to let the orchids cool down at night, as this helps the plant restore and preserve its long lasting blooms.
The biggest problem people have is over watering their orchid. Moth orchid roots in nature are exposed to air, when over-watering occurs, the roots suffocate and start to rot. The easiest way to avoid this is to make sure your soil is a bark variety that allows for good drainage. You should only water your orchid once a week. You can judge when you need to water it by picking up the plant to see how heavy it is. If it feels light, touch the soil with your fingertips; it should be moist but not soppy. You don't want any standing water in your pot. You'll soon get into a routine with your orchid, and you'll notice that it's a lot less work to water than you would think.
Your orchid should flower every year if you take good care of it. These blooms last for anywhere between a month to nine months! So the extra you may pay for an orchid as opposed to a different houseplant is definitely worth it just by the amount of time you have to enjoy your orchid's blooms.
It may seem like you're paying a lot for a flower upfront, but the return of a flower that blooms for months on end, is exotic and easy to care for all at the same time makes it very worth it. Orchids add an exotic and beautiful style to any room.
Confucius once compared seeing good friends to entering a room full of fragrant orchids. Take good care of your orchid and it can live on to be as old as 150 years! Now that's a houseplant that's exotic, beautiful, easy to care for and a good investment!
References
Van Arsdale, Sarah. Caring for Orchids. <http://www.doityourself.com/stry/orchidists>
Real Simple Solutions. Caring for Orchids. <http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/content/0,21770,691562,00.html>
Wikipedia. Phalaenopsis. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalaenopsis>
Anyara-Aphorisms. Quotes on Orchids. <http://koti.mbnet.fi/neptunia/quotes/orchids1.htm>
Photos by Flickr Searched "Orchids".
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