I think the true gardener is a lover of his flowers, not a critic of them.
I think the true gardener is the reverent servant of Nature, not her truculent, wife-beating master.
I think the true gardener, the older he grows, should more and more develop a humble, grateful and uncertain spirit.
Reginald Farrer, In a Yorkshire Garden, 1909



Saturday, November 10, 2012

Purplish orchid

Wow, time flies. Since my last post, its now entering mid November and soon 2012 will come to an end. Over here, its been raining practically every day for the past several weeks now. Too much water risk washing away all the fertilizers but it does saves me a lot of time from having to water my plants daily.

Just last week while cleaning up my backyard, I noticed two buds emerging from my orchid plant. I had bought it back in May 2010 to color my otherwise plain green and brown garden. The color was spectacular and distinct. I couldn't remember but I think I bought only one orchid plant. After the flowers died, the stork remained but it never bloomed since then.

I have practically forgotten about it as it fade and hide itself among the ferns and other leafy plants. So when I saw the buds popping out again after more than two years, it was just sheer joy.

The plant is not only alive, its blooming again. And today, it has fully bloomed. I have the wet season to thank. I think the cooler and wet weather with constant rain must have made it ideal for the plant to bloom its beautiful flower.

This one that I have is purplish in color. I call it my purplish orchid. So as you can probably guess, I know extremely little about orchids, not even knowing the correct name of this particular type. If you know the proper name for it, please let me know.

One thing I noticed is the slight difference in color. The top most pic, which was taken today (11/11/12), has a more darker purplish tone compared to the bottom (right) pic, which was taken two years ago (5/20/10) despite the fact that its coming from the same plant.

While I enjoy the beauty, I wait anxiously for the second bud to open and show me its spectacular shape and striking color...