I’ve only ever grown one orchid, in the days before I understood that not every plant we can buy will thrive in our conditions. It was a small but elegant white one, in flower when I bought it (and for weeks afterwards), that gradually became more and more unhappy. The summit of a wooden plant stand in a coolish Lancashire home compared poorly to life in a tropical forest. Since then, I have admired orchids where I’ve found them, leaving their care to people who understand them better.
RHS Wisley’s collection of Cymbidiums and other orchids was around the corner from The Giant Houseplant Takeover. The orchids were just as bizarre in their way.
I was most intrigued by the bottom three orchids: the frogs dressed up for a posh awards ceremony and left dangling for the results; the red one, its form a scarlet version of the tiny hummingbird nest my sweetheart found in his garden made of felted leaves; the last so decorative and sturdily constructed with its pouting, land-here lip.
Shared as part of Cee’s Flower of the Day. By coincidence, her choice today is an orchid too.
Susan Rushton 
So gorgeous
I’m happy to be able to share them!
Such beauties
I’d love to see them in the wild, but can’t imagine anyone putting up with the squeals that would come if I was in a jungle.
There is a nice white one blooming outside the office here now! Rad! The buds are not yet opening. My colleague down south had several white specimens that needed to be taken from one of his job sites a few years ago. (It was the Osbourne Residence of ‘the Osbournes’.) I wanted a few, but he used them on other jobs before I got there.
I imagine those would have been impressive! I’m sorry you missed out on adopting some of them. You’d have made a good keeper.
It is actually better that they went to good homes where Brent will maintain them. I only intended to take them because I did not want them to be discarded. If I want orchids, I can always just divide more. They always have a way of showing up anyway.
Beautiful orchids. ♥
I’m glad you liked them.
Such lovely orchids!! Your photos capture their exquisite beauty well! ❤️
They made very patient models. 🙂