It’s all too easy to forget about the indoor plants with so much going on outside in the summertime, especially if you don’t take your indoor plants outside for the season.
In my sunroom, once the night bloomer blooms, I don’t do much with the plants except open the blinds for them each morning and water them once a week or so.
So when I was watering the indoor plants on Sunday, I was surprised and delighted to find an orchid in bloom. This one has never bloomed for me before and I think I actually bought it without every seeing its bloom.
According to the label that came with this orchid, it is Brassia Rex ‘Barbara’.
It’s quite mysterious and I can’t believe it had to be in full flower for me to notice it. I put a black background behind it so it would show up in the picture. Without that black background it’s kind of ghostly looking.
I’m intrigued by it, and spent quite a bit of time looking at it and studying it. I can see why people get smitten with orchids and abandon all other plants to focus on them. Fortunately, I don’t have that problem, I’m an “omni-gardener”, I want to grow everything. Don’t you?
Carol, your orchid is awsome. I’ve never seen anything like it.
I tend to be obsessive as you could tell from my daylily collection, so I used to be “into” african violets. As far as other indoor plants, I don’t have too many, other than herbs and a christmas cactus. This house doesn’t seem to have the necessary window ledges, and I can’t quite figure out how to get more shelves, etc, nearby. I am currently using a baker’s rack in the kitchen for seedings.
It must have been nice to have a pleasant gardening surprise after all the unpleasant ones this year!
My guess is that there’s no scent from this flower – is that right, Carol? Otherwise you’d have been aware of it, even if you hadn’t seen the flower.
Omni-fleurus – me, too.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I can appreciate your excitement because I cannot get orchids to bloom a second time and I am one of those people that does give them tender constant care! Friends who have them and ignore them have repeated blossoms!!
They certainly wink at me when I am in the stores..buy me!! I’ll think about it!! Good for you! hugs NG
Have you ever read the Rex Stout mysteries featuring Nero Wolfe, who has a whole floor of his house as an orchid room?
What a nice surprise, Carol ! I only have light enough in one room to grow indoor plants and I adore orchids. I think I will try one again this winter.
I, too, tend to ignore my inside plants during the summer. I always forget when they were last watered and some of them ‘tell’ me it’s been too long. 🙁
Marie… I know what you mean about not having enough shelf or window ledge. Luckily, I have a heated sunroom.
Annie in Austin… You’re right, this orchid has no scent. And I like the word “omni-fleurus”. By the way, the 2nd bloom is open now.
Naturegirl… Some plants just like to surprise us, I guess. Or is it that “a watch pot never boils”?
Nan… I haven’t read the books, but I am familiar with Nero Wolfe having a big orchid room…
Carolyn Gail… Yes, try an orchid this winter, if it blooms it will be well worth. Or buy one in bloom because the blooms tend to go on a long time (a month or longer on some I have) so you can at least enjoy it for awhile.
Thanks to all for the comments!
Carol at May Dreams Gardens
Kylee… I know what you mean. I’m always grateful when they make it through the summer in spite of me.
Carol at May Dreams Gardens
Oh, a heated sunroom…I’m jealous. I have no decent plant windows in this whole house. But I do have orchids in bloom in the bathroom all the time. The secret ingredient is called S.I.L.K. But yours look a lot better.
Isn’t it interesting (weird!) how people get all obsessed with one kind of plant. Orchids, cycads–people smuggle these plants. International criminal syndicates, and everything.
On a different level, but kind of borderline, my friend’s mom is an iris freak. Her whole front yard and backyard is irises. All identified with accession tags and everything, just like a botanical garden. Their social life revolves around iris clubs. The woman has no time for any other plant.
“Gardening” itself is kind of a secondary consideration for some plantaholics.
So alike, but so different…
That orchid is lovely.
I love orchids because they are so exotic looking and like yours sometime look as though they should be growing on a distant planet.
I have two orchids that just spiked over night.
I always forget to write about them.
I forget to water them too but they just keep on living with very little help from me.
Who knew?
I think your orchid looks kind of spidery, but it’s interesting
LostRoses… A secret ingredient? SILK? That’s hilarious!
Chuck B…. Yes, there is that fine line that we all walk. At any time, we could encouter a plant that takes hold of us and all other plants are abandoned!
Chigiy… Yes, who knew? A lot of people think orchids are hard to keep alive. They aren’t. They aren’t the prettiest indoor plants, but they are the most exciting when they bloom.
Thanks all for the Comments!
Carol at May Dreams Gardens
Carol, very cool surprise. 🙂 I thought of you today when I saw this post on a night bloomer with which you are familiar, but in a much warmer climate. Isn’t it huge?!