"Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. " ~Lindley Karstens

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The Hot, the Loud and the Proud --- My First Vanda Orchid Blooming

I have not joined Noel at Plant Fanatic In Hawaii for his "Hot, Loud and Proud" meme for quite a while.  I remember the first time I joined him was back in March.   I was excited about my first Cattleya 'Jewel Box' orchid blooming.  Guess what?  This month another my "garden first" bloomed just on time for this meme, and it is my first Vanda orchid!


This is a hybrid Vanda orchid (Kasem's Delight x Blitz's Heartthrob).  I bought it together with Cattleya  'Jewel Box' in January, right after our unusual Florida freeze.  It had a flower spike already developed when I brought it home expecting it would bloom very soon.  Sadly, after I hung it under the small oak tree in the front yard, that flower spike quickly dried and turned to brown.   This similar thing had happened several times before with my other orchids.  If the flower spike was still developing, or buds was just forming when purchasing, they usually withered after bringing from nursery.  My speculation was new environment might be quite different from the nursery environment that those orchids have been growing.

Anyway, despite of the dried-up flower spike, the Vanda has gradually adjusted to its new home, and I was happy to see it developed the new leaves and roots. Until about a month ago, I spotted a flower spike growing out of the leaves! Ten months' waiting is quite long, but it totally worth it!





For all other "Hot, Loud and Proud" presentations around the world, you can check out Noel's site.

14 comments:

  1. How exciting! Nothing like the first-ever blooms on an orchid. That is a beautiful vanda...very different from the ones I'm used to seeing.

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  2. Congrats, Ami!!! Your blooms are gorgeous!!

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  3. How rewarding to get that vanda to bloom. It is gorgeous!

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  4. Hi Ami...That is stunning bloom! Congrats on getting a nice bunch of blossoms. We have very good luck with vandas, and they are one of my favorites.

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  5. Vandas are so gorgeous! The great plus is that you will enjoy those beautiful blooms for a while. They stay on my plant for ages. Yours is lovely

    Enjoy!

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  6. Kimberly: Thanks! Glad to see your comment again. Hope you are doing fine with whatever took you away from the blogging world, and come back soon. We miss you!

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  7. NanaK: "Rewarding" is such precise word to describe what I feel :) I can see myself bringing more orchids home if pocket allows. Hmm, maybe I should give some hints to my family as Christmas gift :)

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  8. Susan: Thanks! You are the one who got me hooked more and more on orchids! Your orchid pictures made me drooling everytime I looked them.

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  9. Anonymous: Thanks for visiting and leaving the comments! This is my first and only Vanda in my garden. I am so glad to hear the flowers last very long. I am looking forward to enjoying them through the winter here :)

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  10. Floridagirl: Yes, it is pretty exciting to see first-ever blooms on an orchid. It just felt different if it has flowers at the purchase. I felt like it is a reward to my care. Although, it is really care free except some water, or very occasional orchid fertilizer spray.

    P.S. I had too many typos in my original reply comment to you, and had to delete it and repost :)

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  11. Those orchids are really beautiful. Im very sure you cannot stop admiring those beauties.
    Hope more flowers comes out from the spike and they last all the way to Christmas & New Year!

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  12. Hi Ami,

    You must be so excited about your Vanda orchid blooming! I have a moth orchid that I bought last year that had blooms and they lasted for quite a while. Now, I am waiting for blooms again.

    **I hope you have a nice visit to Phoenix :-)

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  13. James: I surely hope the flower can last until Christmas, even new years. Since Vanda flowers usually last long, the chance is good :)

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  14. Noelle: I also have some moth orchids developing the flowers spikes. They are quite reliable. Good luck with your moth orchids. I am looking forward to the phoenix trip since this will be the first time I visit there.

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