How-To, Orchid Beginner Tips

Choose Orchids for a Long-Lasting Valentine Gift

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Are you looking for a last-minute gift for your loved one today? Consider an orchid. Sure, a dozen red roses are THE thing to get your Valentine, but roses wilt and die so quickly. Orchids can last for years if you treat them right – and they aren’t nearly as hard to care for as some people think.

Stop by your local Trader Joe’s, Home Depot, Ikea, or florist and they will likely have some phalaenopsis orchids to choose from. Phals are the easiest orchids to grow in the home. Bonus: they can be a whole lot cheaper than a bunch of roses! TJs, for example, sells many beautiful orchids for under $20. I got this pretty fuchsia phal at Ikea for $15 last spring and it has already produced side shoots and rebloomed for me:

Valentine's Day Orchid

Share the orchid love on Valentine’s Day and you’ll be rewarded for months (and maybe years) to come!

Events, New York Botanical Garden

The Orchid Show at NYBG

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I am so incredibly excited to go to this year’s Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden when it opens. This year’s show is called Cuba in Flower. Last year’s theme was Brazil and it was also my first visit to the garden’s annual orchid show. I was so wowed by what I saw that it kicked off this fun obsession hobby of mine.

The 2010 show runs from February 27 through April 11. Admission is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors/students, $8 for children, and free for members and children under 2. I fully plan to go more than once and really explore.

The NYBG has posted some videos of their show preparations. The most recent video is below – and by the way, how adorable is the opening graphic?! Kudos to the graphic designer for that.

You can see my extensive photoset from the NYBG 2009 Orchid Show on Flickr here.  Lots of orchid photos  and more. The day that I went was so gloomy out, but inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory was like orchid nerd heaven! I can’t wait for February 27!

Psychopsis Orchid, NYBG Orchid Show 2009
Psychopsis, NYBG Orchid Show 2009

My Orchid Garden

My First Online Orchid Order

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In my first post I mentioned that I have nine orchids in my home. Well, at some point in the hopefully not-too-distant future, five more orchids will be added to my collection!

I’d been eyeing some of the sale orchids at Orchids By Hausermann for awhile, and one day I finally broke down and ordered some – for a grand total of $48.80 including shipping. That’s less than $10 per orchid!

Unfortunately, I didn’t consider the fact that I was placing this order in the dead of winter when weather conditions are not exactly ideal for shipping orchids. Hausermann’s policy is to wait till it warms up to ship them, so I’m sitting here on pins & needles waiting for warmer weather. I do appreciate that they take shipping safety into consideration – it shows that they’re serious about orchids and customer satisfaction!

The orchids that will one day arrive at my door are:

Paphiopedilum Vini

Paphiopedilum Vini

Phalaenopsis Laurel Blau ‘Hugs & Kisses’

Phalaenopsis Laurel Blau 'Hugs & Kisses'

Phalaenopsis Yellow Butterfly ‘Amber’

Phalaenopsis Yellow Butterfly 'Amber'

Tolumnia Golden Sunset ‘Red’

Tolumnia Golden Sunset 'Red'

Zygopetalum (Blue Blazes x Blue Blazes)

Zygopetalum (Blue Blazes x Blue Blazes)

Photos above are all from Hausermann’s website. None of these orchids will be in bloom when they arrive, so it will be fun to see how long it takes me to get them to show their pretty flowers. Each one should look similar to the photo. I’m excited to try growing different types of orchids aside from the ever-popular phals (though of course I have plenty of those!).

You can count on a blog post from me as soon as these lovely guys arrive!

How-To, Orchid Beginner Tips, Orchid Care

Welcome to Brooklyn Orchids

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Pink Vanda Orchid
Vanda blooming at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

I’ve been obsessing about orchids for about a year now and I’m still a total newbie.  I love orchids so much that I decided to start a blog about them – and here we are. I’ll be sharing photos (my own & others’), information, links, things I’ve learned, and stories about my own orchids as I try my very hardest not to kill them.

A little bit about me: I’ve been living in NYC since December 2002. Currently, I live in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn and have been in my apartment for a little over a year. My apartment gets really great southern exposure so it has been a good environment for growing orchids. Right now, I am the proud owner of nine orchids (I’ll post photos & info about each of these separately):

  • Five phalaenopsis – two from Ikea, one from Home Depot, one from Trader Joe’s, one from a vendor at the Union Square Greenmarket (I *think* it’s Fantastic Gardens, need to find out for sure)
  • One oncidium from TJs
  • Two dendrobium – one from TJs, one from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
  • One odontoglossom from the BBG

My kill count is two, my first orchids ever (both phals).  🙁  I don’t think either of them were healthy when I bought them, because I didn’t know what to look for when buying orchids. I’ve learned a lot since then and most of my orchids seem to be doing well now!

I’m really looking forward to writing about orchids and sharing my passion for them. I hope you enjoy this blog and I’d love to hear your orchid stories in the comments.

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