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Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Orchid Intermission

At the height of my relationship with orchids, i deposit all of them in my sister's front yard in town.   Her old boarding house has a wide front yard that she likes because of her dogs. The dogs can play unrestricted on that front lawn, with nothing on it but grasses. When the orchids came the area was devoted for the orchids and the dogs were left inside the house, put on leash when they went out walking. I always have 1 or 2 orchids from my travels to the regions.  They are expensive then because i always wanted to have the prettiest. Hybrids are of course more expensive, with more showy blooms.

I was fascinated with Vanda then, most specially the terete types. They are easier to grow, can be left open to direct sun without scorching. They are all mounted on Gliricidia sepium trunks for easier handling and aesthetic concerns. My sister learns fast, she was able to grow them well and they easily bloomed to the neighbors' and passers' by delight. Nobody passed by the street without slowing down to watch the orchid blooms. Even the roots look so beautiful.

Eventually the driftwoods decayed, the orchids got old, and health dwindled without enough sustenance. My enthusiasm also decreased for maybe it is already fully assuaged. Then my sister got so much responsibilities in school. Eventually, they got sick, i was also sick for sometime and they eventually succumbed to bad health. Only very few of them remained, which were just left on their own untended. The left-overs were brought home and my sister built her own house near our old one. I forgot all about them when last week this one bloom caught my attentionb. I think it is very beautiful. I didn't remember that there is this color before!

Not all the buds opened yet, but it represented a lovely breed. It evoked some past memories of our old relationship and it didn't stop to evoke new delight. 

The close-up of the individual flower is beautiful, don't you believe me?


This one is called tiger orchid because of the design on its leaves. Actually, it is Phalaenopsis schilleriana, native to the Philippines. It is mounted on a lanzones tree, only watered when remembered and left on its own. Sometimes the leaves were all eaten by a flat short caterpillar, which i remove when i see them. There are only 2 plants left here. The cold and long nights last Dec-Feb induced them to flower. Sometimes the flower buds are also eaten by some unknown larvae. I am glad these 2 inflorescences at least continue blooming. They are also lovely and look so special.


27 comments:

  1. Both of those orchids are lovely. I think I've stopped buying any for now. I have enough to take care of.

    I hope you are doing better and that your orchids continue to bring you joy ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Hi Lorraine, i actually am not growing orchids now, those remaining are just remnants of the past not anymore tended just left on their own. I am now into hoya. If you try to browse on my older posts, they are full of hoyas. Thanks for visiting.

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  2. The close-ups are so vibrant and colorful. I really like them.

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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    1. Thank you Mersad, it's heartwarming if that comes from a professional like you.

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  3. It's amazing how many types and colors of orchids there are. These are lovely. Tom The Backroads Traveller

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    1. Oh yes Tom, they are incredible, and we have hybrids creating a lot more!

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  4. What beautiful flowers. I do like it when plants find their own home and manage to thrive without any intervention. I am also pleased that your sister's dogs have a garden again!!!!

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    1. Oh yes, her dogs and cats also have garden now! haha. She is the governess of my hoyas in ICU.

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  5. Hi Andrea,
    I love orchids, they are so beautiful in different colors and forms!
    Have a nice weekend
    moni

    Thanks if you visit my blog
    http://www.reflexionblog.de

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    1. I like orchids, but as i said i just gave up on them, i already changed to hoyas. Thanks for the visit.

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  6. Hi Andrea
    Orchids are my favourite flowers, whenever I go through Singapore I buy a huge box. Not many people know that you can bring flowers into Australia, but you can you just need to declare them, they give them a little shake on arrival and provided they have been packed for export and are bug free then it's not problem. I love the orchids because they are so delicate and long lasting. It is my joy to make my holiday last longer in this way!
    How lovely that you have these hardy orchids who have survived all the upheavals, they are certainly to be admired.
    Wren x

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    1. Wandering Wren, I think you mistook me as living in Australia, i was just there for a vacation. This blogsite is devoted for all the plants in my garden only, as stated in the sidebar of the blog. And this garden is in a little patch of earth in or farm in the Philippines.

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  7. Gorgeous orchids. Orchids are fascinating as they come in so many shapes and colours.

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  8. That is so pretty. We have a hard time growing orchids where I live, even inside, because the air is too dry for them to thrive.

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  9. Thank you for featuring your beautiful orchids

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  10. Very pretty orchids! Have a nice weekend.

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  11. Your orchids are a delightful sight. So beautiful!

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  12. A real colour explosion... beautiful!

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  13. Gorgeous. I just went to an Orchid show today, and I'm always amazed with how many unique species and cultivars of orchids are available. Lucky you to have some growing outside at your sister's house that you can observe when you visit.

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  14. Yes, I believe these are extraordinary flowers :)

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  15. Beautiful and vibrantly coloured!

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  16. Beautiful! Such an wonderful fireworks of colours!!!

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  17. Lovely orchids, Andrea. Sad to read how they slowly died, but I guess that is the way of the world. Still, even now some bold survivors gave you pleasure. I hope you are over your illness now.
    Thank you for participating in Floral Friday Fotos!

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    1. Thanks Nick V. I am thinking about the illness you are referring too. I think that was the respiratory allergy i got before i travelled to Sydney in November. That was long ago. It suddenly ended there and i had a wonderful time mostly the whole of December in New Zealand.

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