The new vanda

I stopped by a big box store the other day, because I’d been told they had recently received a shipment of interesting orchids. I was disappointed to see that many of them were phalaenopsis from the “Just Add Ice” people. I’m sorry, but if you are too lazy to bring your phal to the sink and water it properly once a week or so, then you probably shouldn’t buy one.

The Just Add Ice orchids require: (and this is from the company’s website) “ 3 ice cubes per week. It’s that simple!” Well, it’s not that simple. Those three little cubes will not produce nearly enough water to properly soak the roots. And that water is ice cold, which orchids hate. Anyway, I have ranted about this in another post, so I will stop now.

There were other orchids to be had this day, including dendrobiums, other, more interesting phals, and even a few vandas. I snapped up the last vanda, and took it home with a bit of trepidation, because they are difficult to grow well in a home environment. Vandas need moisture and mine was just panting for a good drink after hanging in a dry store environment. I now have it hanging in a window that gets sun just about all day, and I am coddling it with mistings and root soakings. I must say it appears to be considerably happier now than when I first saw it.

Paphiopedilum Makulii "Green Machine" x "Maudiae Classic" - in bloom now

Of course, anyone can bring home a plant in bloom. The challenge is getting it to bloom again. Many people buy orchids and just toss them when they finish flowering, treating them almost like cut flowers. I admit they don’t look very interesting when they aren’t in bloom, but that’s why I have diverse cultivars – so I can have something flowering all year long. I just move the ones that are “resting” to the table with the other resting plants, and show off the blooming ones in another part of the room.

So my challenge now is to make my new vanda happy, and ultimately to get it to re-bloom. I love a challenge.