I know you’re not going to feel sorry for me, but please let me try anyway. One morning a few weeks ago, when we woke up at 6 am, it was really cold here in Palm Beach County, Florida. It had gone down to 39 degrees!
From the weather forecast the day before, I knew that we were in for a cold spell so I took precautions for my “plant nursery” on the patio behind my house. I left the outside fan on to circulate the air just in case it went lower than 40 degrees.
My collection of orchids has survived for many years. With proper feeding and care not to over-water them, I have had many of them bloom year after year, sometimes even several times a year.
I am especially fond of orchids. What begins as a very plain-looking plant, sometimes with just a few dark green leaves, is transformed into a display of multiple identical flowers with the most meticulous details rivaling any painting.
During the shortest, chilly days of December, each plant produces one or two shoots. It brings me great joy when I see these early buds since I know that at the end of the winter, I will have a patio full of some amazing blooms. I never remember which plant will produce which color. It reminds me of when I was a child and I saw the first signs of spring poking through the snow-covered ground. I was always happy that I had planted these crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips months before during the fall.
As my orchid stalks slowly grew through the cooler days of January, I was once again reassured that warmer days were coming. By mid-February, some of the early bloomers opened with amazing examples of nature’s beauty.
By mid-March, all of my precious orchids will be in full bloom. The darker shorter days of our Florida winter will just be a memory. Once again I’ll be able to enjoy the warm weather which is the main reason that I moved down here over 40 years ago.
The gorgeous pink, purple, yellow, orange and white flowers are worth waiting for. We are grateful for the long slow growth process which ultimately rewards us with some of Mother Nature’s most beautiful creations.
Later this month, I will be happy to share with you some photos of my beloved orchids!
SINCERELY, DR. DAN 