You Grow Girl™

Well the holidays are partially complete and so far I have made my way through unscathed. This has officially been the Laziest Holiday Ever. I have spent the bulk of the last few days doing NOTHING. Literally nothing of value. Davin gave me a computer game and I spent nearly every waking hour of two entire days glued to the computer playing that game. It's sick.

I received some nice plant-related gifts this year but of course I have barely looked at them (The Game has taken over my life). One of my friends gave me a 2003 Water Garden calendar that gives water gardening tips and lists of what to do when. Sadly I do not have a water garden. I really want one but just don't have the space. The same friend gave me two volumes from an old garden encyclopedia set called "10,000 Garden Questions Answered by 20 Experts" as well as third volume from the same author entitled "The Complete Book of Annuals". A fourth book in the same style but by a different author entitled "All About House Plants" was also included. All books are from the mid to late 50's. Davin's dad said that his father had these books as a part of a book club. My favourite thing about these books are the colour plates that all have a strange washed-out yet super-saturated quality to them.

Davin gave me "Introducing Orchids: A Beginner's Guide" by Wilma and Brian Rittershausen. This book is more for identification than information, but has lots of gorgeous macro photos. Recently on my holiday shopping excursions I have been seeing alot of orchids in the stores. It seems that giving orchids as gifts is growing in popularity. The one I keep seeing that interests me the most is the slipper orchid in the photo above Paphiopedilum (taken with my PocketDV camera). Up close it has amazing hairs on the inside of the flower. I love the green colour and am finding I have a preference for green coloured flowers. Of my own orchids two (1, 2) are doing well, but the third, the Vanda is suffering through the winter. I have it in a room with a humidifier and I mist it regularly (with bottled water no less!) but some of the leaves have been drying up. The roots still look good and green and healthy, but the leaves are another story. I have definitely learned my lesson about buying plants on impulse. I was so afraid to try an orchid so what do I do -- the first orchid I buy just happens to be one of the most difficult to care for. Sigh.