Orchids

I love orchids.   Have for a very long time.   In England, I grew many Cymbidiums, most of which were in "resting periods" when I purchased them and, thus, very inexpensive.   These are what I refer to as "The Big Hawaii Orchids".   Inaccurate, but one of the impressions of my one and only trip to Hawaii was the Cymbidiums.   Bringing them back to full bloom was a job of patience and reward.

Wonderfully, for Valentine's Day, Georg took me to the New Hampshire Orchid Society's annual orchid show at the Radisson Hotel in Nashua.   Now, having visited England's Kew Gardens and their wonderful orchid house, and having read a fair number of things about orchids, I already appreciated that orchids come in an amazing array of shapes, colors, and sizes, but I had NO IDEA!   This was my first orchid show.   It blew me away!   And it wasn't even a big show!
By the end of our short visit at the show, my brain was overwhelmed by the immense variety of orchids on display.   I was most blown away by the absolutely miniature flowers which I had no idea even existed.   And scented orchids, while I knew they existed, were not something I had encountered in person.   What a treat!

By the end of the afternoon, I had collected the business card of a new orchid garden based locally in New London, NH that I will visit shortly, if nothing else but to get some orchid fertiliser, and had purchased 5 plants from another exhibitor, Marlow Orchids of New York.   After many years of owning the big Cymbidiums, the lady slipper Paphiopedilums, and a few "moth orchids" or Phalaenopsis, I found myself taking home orchids new to me.

Go add to my little collection at home, I now have 4 young Cattleyas as well as my first Oncidium, which won me over not only by it's miniature flowers, but by it's lovely scent of a hint of chocolate.

Orchids.   I consider myself a pre-novice, but I love them.