Everyday Orchids

After longing for an orchid-filled life in my youth, I'm grateful to live in such a time as this when showy orchids are plentiful, affordable and easily rebloom. When I was young, they were among the most expensive of flowers, and now, among the most affordable.

Everyday moth orchids of the Phaleaenopsis genus, such as pictured above and throughout this post, are available year-round. I never tire of wondering at their beauty. They are a reminder of how unexpectedly strange and delightful life can be.

Moth orchids interestingly were among the first tropical orchids in Victorian greenhouse collections. In recent decades they have been hybridized and bred to do well as houseplants. They also thrive outdoors in the shade during the warmer months.

Moth orchids are so plentiful these days that they can be purchased from $10 to $20 dollars at the grocery store. Thanks to ingenious horticulture and commercialization, everyday orchids are now available to everyman.

My husband and I keep our orchids blooming by using inexpensive bulb grow lights on an outdoor light string in our basement. The internet features all sorts of additional tips and techniques for easily reblooming moth orchids. 

Although I'm not sure when I saw my first orchid, I have no doubt it was love at first sight as the exotic shapes of orchids never fail to intrigue. I do remember being highly impressed by a frilly, white cattleya orchid my grandmother pulled out of her refrigerator to show me, a corsage for some special occasion. That must have been at least 50 years ago.

My mother told me only wealthy people could afford to grow orchids. They were from the tropics and typically were cultivated in a greenhouse, she said. I had to be content to periodically appreciate the occasional lady's corsage. And I did periodically see dramatic orchids in old black and white movies.

When I began visiting our local botanical gardens in college, I was excited to see their orchid collection displayed numerous variations of orchid bloom shape and color. I stopped and stared at each plant in wonder. After moving to Daytona Beach, Fla., in my late 20s, my first experience at an orchid show with hundreds of varieties left me dazzled.

Florida truly was an orchid adventure. Soon after that first orchid show, a friend from work took me to visit her parents in Miami. Not only did they have orchids growing in the backyard, but they lived near Fennell's Orchid Jungle.

The jungle included a magnificent mix of orchids that were native and non-native to Florida. Before my visit I had no idea members of the orchid family are to be found across the world or that most showy orchids cultivated for enjoyment are from the tropics or subtropics.

Unfortunately, not too long after I visited, the orchid jungle was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. I'm sure its absence, however, has been more than filled by orchid clubs, botanical gardens, and other organizations across the globe. Orchids don't lack for fans, and fortunately these days fans like me don't lack for orchids.

Various types of reblooming moth orchids purchased at local grocery stores within recent years.
Photos by Kathy Hagood