I have another obsession which did not make it into the title of this blog. (If I packed everything of interest to me in there, it would be constantly changing and much too long.)
Growing this has fascinated me since childhood. It did happen upon an occasional damper during the teen years when I let an African violet or two die miserably. But those days have passed.
I give you the easiest and most impressive indoor plant known:
The Orchid
The only thing it needs is light and a weekly bath. Even the tiniest apartment will be able to provide those.
Don't water orchids. They don't like to stand in the wet and therefore the quantities and timing can be tricky. A friend gave me this trick years ago and I have been using it ever since: Once a week fill up the pot completely with lukewarm water. Leave it to stand for at least 20 minutes but no longer than two hours. Then let the plant drain off completely. I have forgotten them in their bath for a few hours a couple of times (no biggie).
I might feed them about three times a year. That's it.
They bloom for months on end. Imagine buying cut flowers during all of this time. If you keep them, practice a little patience and give them a little TLC they'll come again and again.
They always remind me of flying to Thailand... Thai Airways always distributed orchid corsages on the flight.
A single blooming plant can make a big impression. Give them a try and tell me what you think!
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