My orchid sanctuary, filled with more than 20 previously orphaned and almost dead orchids that I've managed to bring to life, is filled with lovely blooming orchids and for the first time ever I now have phalaenopsis orchids that are referred to as red, salmon, sunrise or pink, you name it! This particular plant has huge leaves so I'm not surprised that it has produced a double stem of stunning blooms, and I could tell by the color of the leaves that the flowers would be red/pink but what exactly was a mystery until now.
I do love the elegance of white phalaenopsis blooms, but a mix of colors (I now have 3/4 color varieties) is truly special and I'm starting to feel like an orchid whisperer, though I'll admit I have not been successful with all the poor plants brought to me by a family friend who does landscaping and rescues discarded orchids. In return we send him photos/video updates when the plants bloom, and it makes him happy too! When guests come to our home, I generally point out that the blooming orchids are real, and anyone interested gets a little lesson in how to get an orchid to re-bloom.
The only secret I have, other than weekly ice cubes or watering in the sink, is that as the water boils for my morning coffee I give each plant a spritz of water, and plants that have finished blooming are placed in the shade outdoors during the summer. I have not used any fertilizer though I do have some somewhere and would like to give it a try after this blooming period.
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