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Orchids


Long Live Your Cut Flowers!

Long Live Your Cut Flowers!


Posted on Sep 22, 2016 | 0 comments

Are your flowers vase worthy? Find out which blooms live the longest in vases and learn the little tricks that ensure they stay fresh and perky long after they leave your garden! 

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Tricksters in the Garden

Tricksters in the Garden


Posted on Apr 1, 2016 | 0 comments

Beware – there are mischief makers in our midst! While April Fool’s Day is our one chance of the year to stir up some (lighthearted) trouble, the creatures of this list never take a day off from their scandalous behavior. Their disguises are convincing, but try not to be fooled by these common garden tricksters.

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All the Answers to Your Orchid Questions

All the Answers to Your Orchid Questions


Posted on Aug 31, 2006 |

Are these Orchids okay to plant in the garden?

No. They are for indoor use, in containers.

Are they annuals?

No. They are long-lived, but because they’re houseplants, the hardiness zones don’t apply. The ones we’re shipping are all at least 2 years old, and they have many, many productive years ahead of them.

Do I need grow lights?

Nope! Just a bathroom with a window. Of course, if you have plant lights, they like those too, but there’s no need for them.

Do I need to mist the leaves?

No. Resist the temptation, because if the crown of the plant stays wet for too long, it will rot.

Do they need high temperatures?

No. (Hey, my answer for everything is “no” today!) Room temperature is fine, and even a little cooler in fall to stimulate the growth of flower buds.

Why the bathroom?

The combination of diffuse light (most of us don’t have big sunny windows over the commode) and periods of intense humidity from taking showers and baths is similar to these Orchids’ native climate, and they love it.

What is the parentage of these Wayside Kisses?

Every Wayside Kiss Orchid will come with two tags — one our usual kind, with the name and growth info, the other from the grower. The grower tag has code on it that contains the parentage of the plant. If a customer is interested in finding out exactly how their Wayside Kiss was bred, we can send them to the grower to decode their tag.

What should I do after the plant blooms?

Let the flowers drop and leave the plant be. It will continue to grow and prepare for another cycle of bloom next year. But don’t think you’re going to go months without flowers — these blooms you’ll be getting in a couple of weeks can last for months!

What is this bump on the stem of my plant?

That’s the flower bud. Leave it alone and it will open, probably within a week or so. These Orchids are ready to pop!

Can I take my Orchid to the office or the hospital?

Not sure on this one, but my inclination is to say no. I don’t think they’ll mind the fluorescents so much as the heavily conditioned air. You might try it with a dish of moistened pebbles under the pot, but I’d be inclined to say keep them at home.

 

 

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8 Facts About Orchids


Posted on Aug 30, 2006 |

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A beautiful Orchid-wanna-be, Thunderbolt Fairy Wings

  1. Phalaenopsis is an epiphyte (meaning that it grows attached to the branches of trees) native to Asia. In cultivation it is grown indoors, in diffuse light (bathrooms with good air circulation are ideal) and soil that is allowed to dry out a bit between waterings.
  2. Our plants, the Wayside Kisses, are interspecific crosses, each between 2 and 3 years of age and each unique. That is, they are distinctive enough in color to warrant the 4 separate varieties we have developed, but within each variety not every plant will be identical. This is one of the great merits of the Kisses; each plant is truly unique.
  3. When talking about these Orchids, their common name is Moth Orchid (because of their shape), and the central swag of color is called the “lip.”
  4. They bloom along very long (2 foot or so) stems that arise straight from the top of the plant and may be supported or allowed to loll over the sides of baskets, tall flowerpots, and so on. The plant itself is less than a foot high, but the spikes add another 2 feet or so.
  5. They have broad, flat leaves near the base of the plant.
  6. Discourage the myth that Orchids should be misted. They do appreciate a humid environment such as the loo, but they need some drying out, and they absolutely cannot survive with wet crowns. If the home is very dry, they can be grown above a dish filled with water and pebbles, but do not encourage customers to mist or otherwise moisturize the plant directly.
  7. For the same reason that they cannot take wet aboveground growth, they also need very well-drained soil. Avoid potting soils with peat. Special Orchid mixtures are available, but not required.
  8. Over time they will actually grow a second plant near the first. This is called a keiki and is the beginning of a colony for the lucky gardener!

 

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