Even seasoned gardeners fall under the spell of orchids.
There is an ambiguous character to these plants that sets them apart. Often, they seem more sculpture than flower; their forms are spidery, blousy, frilly or pouched.
They can be infinitesimally small or as big as your outstretched hand. Their colors can be muted and pastel or an inky purple so deep it appears to be black. They can appear sinister, lovely, curious or just plain weird — and often they are all these things together. One thing is certain, they are endlessly fascinating.
I do mean endlessly. There is no other group of plants I rediscover like orchids. I am always encountering something I've never seen.
Orchids have an undeserved reputation for being finicky and hard to grow. Like any plant, the key to it thriving is your understanding the plant's natural habitat and finding out how best to supply its basic needs. While this is sometimes a tall order, plenty of orchids are happy to grow under household conditions with just a few adjustments.
I asked Linda Thorne, who owns Seagrove Orchids in Seagrove, about the basic requirements for a home grower.
Thorne was a serious hobbyist. She had a collection of more than 500 plants before she quit her job as a hazardous-materials transportation specialist to pursue her passion.
When she started her business 11 years ago, Thorne had no idea she would be traveling throughout North and South Carolina and as far away as Maryland and Pennsylvania to sell plants at orchid shows. One such show and sale will be Saturday at Reynolda Gardens.
Thorne said that light is the biggest factor for successful home growing. "Overhangs often block out the light in the house," she said. "You definitely want a window that receives bright light for six or seven hours, or a shaded western window."
"Another problem in the house is consistent, year-round temperatures," she said. Many of these plants are inspired to bloom by changes in day and night temperatures. In a house, conditions are relatively stable.
"Sometimes you get enough change by putting plants close to the window," Thorne said. "This is really important with phalaenopsis."
Phalaenopsis are the commonly available moth orchids.
It can be difficult to give simple directions for growing orchids. So much revolves around the growing medium and the conditions in the home.
Thorne said it's best to gauge the weight of your pot so you can determine when the plant needs water. This works for every situation. The pot should be watered when it approaches just slightly moist. This is usually about every seven to 10 days, but conditions vary.
Thorne likes to use a bark mix or sphagnum moss, depending on what she is growing.
"We fertilize every third watering in the greenhouse. In the home, this is about the same," she said. Use a commonly available houseplant or orchid fertilizer with a dilution of half strength during the growing season in spring and summer and quarter strength during the fall and winter when plants tend to rest.
Success with the common phalaenopsis orchid is often the starting point on a long journey through the orchid world. Such was the case with Thorne, and the same is true for me. Others seem to think so, too. Thorne said her email list now includes about 350 names. "Growing orchids is just such a satisfying thing to do," Thorne said. "They just give me so much more than I could ever give them."
- Seagrove Orchids will be one of several orchid vendors selling plants at 9 a.m. Saturday at the annual Reynolda Gardens December Orchid Show and Sale in the education wing of the greenhouse. Members of the Triad Orchid Society will display plants and have divisions for sale from personal collections.
For information, call (336) 758-5593.
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