One of My Orchids is Blooming!

It's been sitting there for quite some time. Just a couple green leaves in a terracotta pot. I'm not sure this particular plant has ever bloomed. In fact, we don't even remember where it came from. But one day, while I was outside working in the garden, I noticed that a flower spike with a few buds had appeared. And a couple weeks later, four beautiful yellow orchids are smiling at me!

It's always a nice surprise when one our orchids blooms. They don't do it often, but when they do, their blossoms are breathtaking. We see them in stores all the time -- exquisite plants with several flowers standing cheerfully on a stalk. Their beauty is enticing. And even though they cost more than we would like to pay, we often can't resist the temptation and hand over the cash for the fleeting beauty of a plant that isn't much to look at when not in bloom. 

When we bought our first orchid years ago, a lady at the store told us to put the plant outside when its flowers were gone. We had paid good money for that orchid and were afraid that if we banished it to the outdoors, it might get bugs on it or something. So we kept it inside and added a few more to our collection. We pampered them and fussed over them, but they didn't seem to do much. They just sat there, occasionally growing a new leaf and not looking very pretty. 

Finally, we decided to take "Orchid Lady's" advice and put them outside. God could take care of them for us. We placed them on a little table in a shady spot under a tree and hung another one, in its basket, from one of the branches. I watered them once in  a while but, for the most part, I neglected them. There they sat, through the heat and rain of summer, through dry spells and windy weather and a cold snap or two. And then they decided to bloom. 

Now, I am no expert on orchids. But I think that orchid lady was on to something. Actually, I believe that the plants need some changing temperatures to give them a little kick. When they are kept indoors, there just isn't the fluctuation in temperature that they seem to want. Obviously, you don't want your orchids outside in freezing weather. But a little cool weather might just wake them up and get them blooming. And when you get those lovely flowers again, bring your plant inside  and enjoy!