Orchids and Silver Linings…

I have always had an attraction to orchids.  The beautiful bouquet of exotic blooms on such a dainty stem with these quirky roots that have a mind of their own; they get me every time.

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Flowers have always refreshed my soul, so it is no surprise that orchids captivated me.  In Alabama, I always bought them to enjoy inside the home.  I loved displaying them in the perfect container to show off their magical beauty to guests.  They also inspired me as I would walk past going about my daily tasks. I loved that their blooms lasted much longer than cut flowers.  The only problem was that after their first glorious show, I could never get them to re-bloom again.  Impatient and frustrated with the inability to get the plants to re-bloom, I would regretfully toss them.  It was not until recently that I have a whole new appreciation for orchids.

Since moving to Florida almost two years ago, I kept hearing how this was the perfect orchid growing climate.  With the temperate weather and humidity here, supposedly the orchids would naturally grow in the wild.  With this new motivation, I began moving my spent orchids outside after blooming.  I would put them in various spots in hopes of giving them a new life; some under the lanai and some under a tree where there was dappled sunlight and rain.  It was just an experiment really.  I never tended to them(other than an occasional splash of water when I remembered).  No fertilizer.  Nothing really.  I practically forgot about them.

Until one morning recently, when I walked outside to find the most unexpected surprise.  There she was in all her splendor.  My neglected orchid, that had been dormant for a year or more, had practically transformed overnight.  Out of nowhere, there was this pioneer bloom and all these tiny buds to follow suit.   I was stopped in my tracks. 

A re-birth. Beautiful positivity.  At no better time than I could have planned or predicted, she miraculously came through.  A silver lining of hope.   

• For more orchid inspiration: Check out the The Tiny Orchid Co. on Instagram(who wants to take a road trip???). And if you are ever in Sarasota, definitely visit Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. It is magical.