We gardeners are a happy lot most all the time, but ya want to see me really happy just give me a day like yesterday. First I have to go back just a bit in history. While attending the memorial for long time family friend Dr. Robert McDonald, his widow Carol requested that we come to their home after the Memorial as he had left me his favorite orchid. Whilst we were walking through the greenhouse I noticed a small Vanda orchid in a hanging basket, being one of my favorite species I asked which one it was. Carol said that it was one she bought at an orchid show but it has never grown and never flowered and then told me to take it if I thought it might do something. So on that warm day in August of 2007 I brought home these two orchids. The "Beallara" that Robert left me has done beautifully, blooming every year and I have divided it into two plants. The sickly little Vanda that Carol gave me has never bloomed and has put on a very minimum of new growth. A couple of months ago I attended an orchid discussion at a local nursery and I asked about this Vanda, the speaker said this particular specimen needs lots of sun to bloom so I took it to my office and sat it in the west window so it would get good winter light. Yesterday it ............B L O O M E D! Just one solitary inflorescence but it bloomed. My excitement even sent Snowball and Goldie the “office staff” swimming to the bottom of their tank ignoring the food I had just dropped into the tank.
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| Vanda Viboon 'Velvet Perfection' It's a start, hopefully one will lead to more |
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| This is a picture I got off the Internet. Looks the same flower, just more of them. |
It is just beautiful and I am pretty sure I can smell it from here--I also thought I heard someone doing a 'happy dance!!' :-)))
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful Doc!
ReplyDeleteHugz, Lisa
Kim,
ReplyDeleteYep, that was a 'happy dance' for sure.
Hey Blondie,
ReplyDeleteI guess patience really is a virtue, otherwise it would have gotten tossed ;o/
Congratulations, Doc! I think it won't be long before yours looks just like the internet picture. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful orchid!
ReplyDelete'Sickly Little Vanda' is looking very fine! I miss my father so much, we lived in different parts of the country and would phone each other up when a particular plant, usually tree peonies in his case, came into flower. Vanda is certainly cause for celebration.
ReplyDelete