A Phalaenopsis Orchid, my first.
I've always wanted to try to grow an orchid, but was afraid to spend the money and have one die. Normally orchids cost $20.00 and up. That;s a lot to spend not knowing if the plant will survive.
Usually I don't name my plants, but thought I would this time, mostly in honor of my friend, Dee (the enabler), who names her plants and she's the one who encouraged me to buy Miss Pink. I guess I should start my story from the beginning.
Yesterday I did my food shopping and while I was at the grocery store I started drooling in front of a table display of orchids. They were a special, just $7.99 and my goodness they were all beautiful and very healthy looking. I started talking to another admirer of the plants. I was very tempted to buy one, but I was too afraid I might kill it. The other woman told me about how she had killed them in the past. We both decided not to buy one.
I kept thinking about them all day yesterday and even told my husband about them. I also wrote to my friend Dee, a very successful orchid grower, who lives in Florida. Today after I read her email pretty much telling me -- to go for it, I had nothing to lose, I was a woman on a mission to go back to the market and buy one. I was afraid they might all be gone. This market is super busy, but to my delight they were all there. It didn't look like they sold any as far as I could tell or maybe they got another shipment. Well, low and behold there was another woman looking at them today and I again struck up a conversation with her. As it happens she also grows orchids and is a member of the garden club and she was very happy to help me. She gave me some advise and helped me pick out my beauty. Now time will only tell if I can keep Miss Pink alive. Thanks to Dee, as she patiently answers my questions, I'm hoping Shirl will have a long life and hopefully continue to bloom for me :) I've got lots to learn about Orchids. Hopefully she'll be patient with me while I learn :)
Now you probably saying this is a knitting blog where is the knitting content? No knitting to show you today but I do have something knitting related in a fibery sort of way. Here's my loot, a prize I won on Linda's blog contest recently. I really hit the jack pot with 4 skeins of wonderful yarn from Kraemer Yarns. Two greenish worsted skeins, one brown DK, and a yellow fingering weight. Love all of them! Aren't I the lucky one?
In addition she included a lovely hand crocheted dishcloth in my kitchen colors and knitting note cards (my first) and a pad of tulips for my friend. Everything is wonderful...Thank you, Linda, for your VERY generous surprise package!!! I really appreciate it and you made today very special.
So much for the spring weather last week, as we are now expecting 2-4 inches of snow overnight. The good thing is -- it shouldn't stay around long. After a taste of the nice weather I am getting very itchy for it to arrive and stay. Better get cracking and get back to my knitting. That baby blanket has to be finished by April 15th. Happy Knitting :)
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Ohhh! I love Miss Shirley Pink! Lots of healthy buds to keep her blooming for a long time. I have been growing Phalaenopsis for many years. They are hard to kill. Just don't love them to death. They should never be overwatered and that's about all I can think of to keep them alive and blooming. I bought a pot of tulip bulbs a couple of weeks ago. They were just little green shoots. In two weeks they became tulips and then lost their blooms and went dormant. I paid $5.00 for that pot of 6 bulbs. One of my orchids, which I bought for $7.99 several years ago came into bloom about 3 months ago and the blooms are still going strong. That makes orchids the better deal!
ReplyDeleteMs. Pink is beautiful and looks very healthy. You may want to get her an orchid pot (looks like a clay pot with holes or slits in the sides) when you repot her. It will help air get to her roots and keep her healthy.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_a184.html
Good website with videos on caring for you new baby. Have fun....she'll bring a little spring to your house even if outside still looks like winter.
Congrats on the yarn win. Looks like some nice stuff.
Congratulations on your two prizes: the orchid and the yarn. Enjoy both of them.
ReplyDeleteA lovely day indeed! And what a beauty Miss Shirley Pink is! Orchids are so beautiful. Wishing you much success with your new girl. :) I love Kraemer yarns, and those are gorgeous. You are one lucky knitter! :)
ReplyDeleteMiss Shirley Pink is breathtaking.
ReplyDeletei just might have miss shirley pink's cousin living with me! ;) i have been unlucky with orchids too. but the first one I had I blame the death on my ex-roommates bad juju. lol. please fwd me the tips/link on how to keep them alive! thanks. :) congrats on your awesome prize too. ;)
ReplyDeleteNice Booty...including the orchid! Kinda afraid of those myself.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, though! Good luck!
OOOH Beautiful flower. Good luck with it. I seem to kill every thing.
ReplyDeleteLove all of your goodies. That would make my day too.
Can't wait to see how your baby blanket turns out. ;)
Hello Ms. Shirley Pink. You are beautiful ! It's so funny, I actually have a very, very green thumb but I have always been intimidated by orchids. There is so much talk about the care one has to give them. I think all the talk scares me. I'd rather not think about it, I just want to water them and walk away. -- I think 2011 is my year though to purchase an orchid. I probably won't post about it for six months though. -- Hit the jackpot indeed ! Lovely prizes, lovely yarn. Congrats !!!
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful orchid. I love orchids - I am lucky that my husband has a green thumb and takes care of them my thumb is very brown :o)
ReplyDeletePretty Phalaenopsis! Those are easy to care for; be careful not to let water sit in the crown (where the leaves grow out) or it will rot. Even if you kill it after it blooms, it pays for itself by the fact that the flowers last about 6 months if you don't cut them off.
ReplyDeleteLucky you, with your winnings.
It must be your birthday.
The orchid is gorgeous and then some! WOW.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your winning the contest. Man, how did I miss that one. Some of the contests are fun. Must keep me eyes open wider. lol
Note cards, they're darling.
Sandy
Beautiful orchid! Much luck to you! I have a white one received for last year and the leaves a growing while the rest is dormant. I snipped off the stem a a nodule and have kept my fingers crossed. Water it infrequently. Good tip above about the clay pot.
ReplyDeleteHappy to hear the package arrived and that you were pleased with your surprises. I had no idea that I nailed your kitchen colors with that dishcloth. Must have some sort of Pisces psychic thing. Wonder what you'll make with that cotton yarn....
Miss Shirley Pink is gorgeous! I've never grown an orchid at all. I normally kill all flowering plants. In the last few years a woman at my church gave me a trailing African Violet and it has been the first plant that likes me. It blooms all the time. Last year it needed to be snipped back as they get very scraggly after they grown. I then took those and made two new plants which are also doing very well, much to my happy surprise! I brought one home and it is flourishing. Good luck with her!
ReplyDeleteNice surprise package!
Great orchid! I got one for my birthday in Nov. It just lost its flower too! The one tip my sister gave me was it likes a cool night, so I put it by my kitchen window. Good luck and I love your blog.
ReplyDeletePretty orchid! Isn't Dee great at growing them? I keep threatening to send her mine for some R & R! What are you going to do with all that yarn? Can't wait to see.
ReplyDelete