Remember when orchids were rare?
……and expensive?
Now every grocery store in America has them. Luckily for all you kind readers, I have a few secrets to make them look like they came from a high-end, fancy floral shop.
“Sort of”
Phalaenopsis are the most popular orchids and come in almost every color under the rainbow. White are the norm……I prefer yellow.
Always choose a plant with firm flowers, and a few buds that haven’t opened yet.
Nabbed this beauty at Brumley Gardens here in Oak Cliff.
Pretty good price for a two-stemer.
Start by removing the plant from the store pot, and running it under cool water to throughly wet the roots.
Orchids like to be moist, but not sitting in water.
I then slide the plastic pot into a clean tomato can. I love the way the graphic label matches the flower colors.
Love the whole irreverence of the can too. Use whatever you have; Chinese take-out boxes, baskets, trophies, even paint cans. Anything works for orchids.
These little clips are the bane of my existence, functional….but oooh so ugly.
Pull them off quickly….and discard.
I also remove the overly dyed green bamboo and replace it with something fresher……like tan bamboo.
I have been known to use chop stix…or even number 2 pencils. You know, when I’m feeling whimsical.
I loosely tie the orchid stem to the bamboo with jute twine. Loosely…VERY loosly, you don’t want to choke the poor guy.
As a finishing touch, I cover the roots with wet moss. Run the moss under water, squeeze out the excess, and wrap it around the base of the plant….tucking it in.
Here’s a great floral shop secret:
Gently push the flower petals outward. This makes the orchid flowers look…….happier. Careful not to tear the flower.
Now my orchid is ready to go in a nice sunny spot, but not direct sun.
Way, More, Much Better than the way it arrived at the house……
Maybe once a week, I’ll pop the plant out of the can and run it through water again….moist, but not sitting in water.
You’re welcome……
