Winter blooms!

 On a dull February day in 2009, on the spur of the moment, I bought a Phalaenopsis  orchid in full bloom and reveled at its delicate beauty; it reminded me of the Belizean rain forest that we visited that winter. Even though we visited in the dry season, it rained every night and in the forest the orchids were laden with drooping stalks covered in dozens of blooms.

After buying that first orchid I was hooked, I wanted more. I went back to the store and found a bunch of leftover dying orchids. All that remained were some shriveled leaves in nice pots priced at $10 each. No idea what colour they were. I offered them $5 each and ended up getting 4 at that price. After some repotting and fertilizing, these orchids are all thriving and have bloomed repeatedly.   

27 blooms and more coming

All these photos are of my “rescues” currently in bloom. Two more have buds almost ready to open. In the dead of winter the blooms bring joy, a splash of colour against the backdrop of white.