Their tall stance, their delicate scent and their inherent charm will certainly tickle your senses---these are characteristics that captivate people to the beauty that is reflected by orchid flowers. Flowers bear significant meanings---from a range of emotions to various relations, I'll be dedicating a segment of this article for the meaning designated to the elegant orchid flower.
Actions speak louder than words, I agree. Among the array of gardening flowers, you can surely get the perfect flora that will express your sincerest feelings. Remember, when words fail---a single stemmed rose will work its magic on you and to your recipient. Just make sure that you've selected the right color of rose, you don't want to send the wrong message to the right person. Refinement, elegance and luxury, these are a few of the terms associated with orchid flowers. Allow me to take you on a short, very short, trip back in time. Aztecs, Greeks and Chinese, we'll go with this arrangement. It was said that Aztecs used the essence of vanilla orchids combined with cocoa and water to form an energy drink (supposedly, this concoction was meant to give strength and power). For the ancient Greeks, an orchid flower symbolized masculinity (it originated from the Greek word 'orchis'). The last stop on our short history lesson would be in the land where the Great Wall stands, China. With the orchid flowers in their grasp, they utilized the same as medicine that aimed to cure respiratory illnesses. Now let's go back to a place closer to home, our backyard.
If you'll try your hand at flower growing, especially for garden exotic plants, this is my advice: proper attention is a must. For orchids (as well as most flowers), sunlight can be their friend or their enemy. Too much light and your orchids will receive minimal to severe burn; not enough lighting will halt the growing process. Make certain you expose your orchids to the right amount of sunlight. This is the secret---an orchid will survive even if no lighting is involved. The problem is that it'll not bloom. Try to exert some effort when planning to grow an orchid plant in your garden. Aim for the lot that receives ample sunlight. Check the color of the leaves that surrounds the area where you'll plant your orchid flowers. This is a good indicator of how much light the plant is receiving. Bright green=healthy leaves, darkish leaves may be an indication of inadequate lighting and yellowish green leaves connotes too much lighting.
Rule of thumb: water your plants in the morning. Same applies to orchids, though you don't water said flower every day. In a humid condition, water the orchids twice a week. Let's say that you're doing a winter gardening in Florida, you only need to water your orchid once a week. I usually use the hand-held spray to water my orchids. Note that one must not overcrowd, allow some space in between pots. Most orchids are mounted in barks or mosses. Other people even put ice cubes atop of the barks as to slowly drench the roots of the orchids. Growing potted orchids may need the help of fertilizer. Use products that contain nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous. As for the orchids mounted in barks, they need more nitrogen. Make sure you buy the right fertilizer for your plants, be it commercial or organic, it'll certainly aid you in growing your precious orchids.
Again, with the different varieties of orchids, each requires different light exposure, periods of watering and fertilizer contents. Know what kind of orchid/s you have and try to study its characteristics by browsing online. Armed with sufficient knowledge, your orchid flowers will certainly bloom and grow (bloom and grow forever---wait that's edelweiss).
