TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Penny Carnathan
Penny’s a Nurture And Hold (NAH): Nah, I won’t pull that out yet, it’s still got a green shoot. She likes dragonflies, lady bugs and new stuff only after weeding, pruning and fertilizing.
Kim Franke-Folstad
Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.
Both advocate Plant Choice (SOMEthing besides crotons. Please!), lots of color and low maintenance. We don’t agree on everything, but we’re smart enough to learn from each other - and from you.
@TheDirtTBO
The Dirt
Post your garden photos
Bay area nuseries Gardening calendar Planting guide
Most Recent Entries
- All Hail The Cuban Sandwich! [Festival Celebrates Tampa’s Iconic Food This Weekend In Ybor City]
- Universities board begins daunting task of creating new university
- USF marketing students finalists in gas promo contest
- USF website pulls together research, services for veterans
- USF Poly budget director Bresler says he’ll fight efforts to fire him
- Incoming Speaker Weatherford speaks at USF conference on college access
- USF St. Pete forms alumni society
- Goodbye Michael Kovac; nanotechnologist, roller coaster lover
- USF Poly administrator resigns; report recommended dismissal
- Anyone For Road Snapper? [Chef Ben Sargent Visits In Key West On “Hook, Line & Dinner.”]
- Universities eye cuts; USF remains quiet
- Banana Bourbon Caramel Cheesecake, Boiled Crawfish, Mussels & Clams [This Week’s Weekend Eats]
- Last USF Poly class graduates; Dockery lays in to “leaders” behind split
- Get your skin checked for free at USF
- Finally the scissors are out for the revamped USF Sun Dome
More
Monthly Archives
There isn’t a bloomin’ thing wrong with orchids
Posted Sep 9, 2009 by Kim Franke-Folstad
Updated Sep 9, 2009 at 02:41 PM
We don’t write much about orchids, here at The Dirt. But man-o-man, I love them.
I was one of those who for years thought they were too expensive and too much trouble with their special pots and potting media and fertilizers.
I mostly thought of orchids as a good alternative to cut flowers (they cost less and last longer). But I never expected mine to bloom again once the last flower dropped. And somewhere, I got the idea that if I could manage to get one to bloom again, it would be only once a year.
Wrong, wrong, wrong!
Orchids, I’ve found, are among the easiest flowers to grow in our climate. And this one – a gift from my parents – is one of my favorites. It seems to bloom almost constantly. And it thrives on what have become two of my favorite gardening words: benign neglect.
I keep it, and my three other orchids, outside on all but the very worst weather days – as in freezing temps and hurricane winds.
And only one is in a fancy pot!
Post a comment
Members:(Requires free registration.)
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online ©2010 Media General Communications Holdings, LLC. A Media General company. Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
Reader Comments
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on September 10, 2009
Benign neglect. I love it. And I agree with you. Orchids are way easier than than the reputation that precedes them. This one is a beauty, Kim.
Posted by (Janna) on September 10, 2009
What a pretty orchid! I tried to grow one years ago, but the poor thing didn’t last long. Maybe I “over-cared” for it. If benign neglect works, I should try again!
Posted by (becksorange) on September 10, 2009
Oh I love Orchids! I was in the keys over the weekend and there’s a house in Key Largo that sells them right in the front yard! Next time I’ll stop now that I know I MAY be able to not kill it!
Posted by (Kim Franke-Folstad) on September 10, 2009
I can see why some people have hundreds of orchids—they are so beautiful.
I had a friend in West Palm Beach who bought a house with a backyard tree full orchids. The previous owner would just stick them in the joints of the branches and they would grow there.
I tried in once. Didn’t work for me. But I love the idea.