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| Orchid Daze 2010 |
A sure sign that winter is about to end is Orchid season. I have unofficially named late winter orchid season as it is the time when the Atlanta Botanical Garden has their annual Orchid Daze Show and also host the Atlanta Orchid Society show and sale(March 11-13 this year). Late Winter is when most orchids re-bloom, a most wonderful time for them to do so since it is for the most part still rather dreary outdoors and the blossoms are a sight for sore eyes.
In anticipation of our visit tomorrow to the Atlanta Botanical Garden for Orchid Daze 2011 "Liquid Landscapes", here are some photos from last year's Orchid Daze
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| Phalaenopsis hanging from the greenhouse rafters |
Yesterday, we visited Rainbeau Orchids in Alpharetta, where our friends Sue and Don Baker have been growing orchids since the 1970's. For me, that is when orchid season officially begins. It has become a ritual for me every winter to fill the house with orchids, they stay in bloom for at least 3 months and with some luck, some will re-bloom within a year. I sometimes have good luck with orchids from the grocery store but have been disappointed on many occasions as well. Grocery store orchids get mishandled in shipping which causes the spikes to loose their buds. Unfortunately, orchids are slow to react from mishandling and do not show the damage that has been done immediately, so when getting orchids from the grocery store, buyer beware!
For me, a trip to the orchid farm is worth it as the orchids are always perfect!
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| February 18th 2011 |
We arrived at Rainbeau Orchids to find the usual array of beautiful orchids for us to pick from. Most of the orchids were still in bud. In a few weeks, the greenhouse would surely be stunning
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| March 9th 2011 |
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| March 9th 2010 |
I usually gravitate toward my favorite, the white Phalaenopsis but there are a myriad of colors and varieties available
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| February 18th 2011 |
It is always a test of willpower at the orchid farm and even with great restraint, I always come home with way too many orchids
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| The haul form one of my excursions last year, This batch was destined for the program I presented at the Carroll County Master Gardeners meeting |
After getting the orchids home unscathed I like to dress them up a little to show them at their best. Dyed green bamboo stakes and twist-ties are perfectly fine for orchid transportation but I prefer more natural looking materials for orchid display. The trick is not to overdo it. To much going on can detract from the orchids natural beauty
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| Freshly harvested yellow twig dogwood, February 18th 2011 |
I usually raid the backyard to see what is available. My 2 favorite choices are birch twigs and twig dogwood. Corkscew willow works well too but sometimes it is not sturdy enough to hold the larger Phalaenopsis spikes.
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Each orchid gets potted up in a dark clay pot and then dressed with reindeer moss and staked with yellow twig dogwood and my mother ferns I have been keeping alive since last December look perfect with the orchids. All the plants are gathered in a weathered zinc pan filled with moistened pebbles. Both the ferns and pebbles help in increasing the humidity around the orchids. Orchids also appreciate fresh moving air and we have the ceiling fan running in the living room. Phalaenopsis are basically comfy with the same climate conditions as humans do so it is a win win situation.
I must admit combining orchids with the mother ferns is not an entirely original idea, I was sure I had seen it somewhere before
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| San Francisco, May 2008 |
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| San Francisco May 2008 |
It will certainly be a pleasure to watch the blooms mature on my orchids and fill in this arrangement. It will definitely remind me of the wonderful time we had in San Francisco. It is funny the associations one makes with favorite places
For the dining table, I opted for some smaller green Phalaenopsis, my favorite color and not too big to allow for stimulating dining conversation.
And the rest of the orchids..
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| looking happy in the window till they get picked up |
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