A few days ago, a reader named Judee wrote in with some great questions about flowers so I thought I'd share the answers in a Q&A format. If you have questions, comments, suggestions or great pix of flowers or plants, send them in. I would love to hear from you!
Q Someone told me of a flower they saw in Hawaii called a Palmyra flower. I cannot find out what it is or looks like. Googling it took me to palms. What is it?
A My understanding is that this is a flower that grows on a variety of palm tree called the Palmyra Palm. It’s a tall palm with long leaves and the flower is small and spiky. I don’t think it’s available as a cut flower so that may be why your Google search didn’t yield much info.
Cymbidium orchids are the star of this bouquet by Teleflora.
Q How do I care for orchid plants at home? Is it possible to make them bloom in captivity?
A Actually, the idea of orchids being dainty and delicate isn’t true. They may look that way but in fact they are robust and don’t require kid-glove treatment. Tip No. 1 is to make sure that you are following the right care guidelines for your particular variety of orchid. Meanwhile, some general rules of thumb are:
*Give your orchid good ventilation with partial shade. Keep it away from radiators, AC and drafts.
*Find a way to keep the soil drained. Try setting the planter in a tray of pebbles and water so that the pot sits out of the water. This allows the moisture to circulate and should prevent the roots from rotting. Orchids get their water from humidity in the atmosphere, rather than from the soil.
*Orchids need a dormant period in the winter to bloom again in the spring, so let it rest in a sunny spot and don't water it. Then cross your fingers and hope for the best! ;)
For more info, visit:
The American Orchid Society's web site: http://www.aos.org/
http://www.teleflora.com/FLOWERBLOG/post/Myth-busting-101-Orchids-really-aren't-that-hard-to-grow.aspx
http://www.teleflora.com/FLOWERBLOG/post/A-reader-offers-2-tricks-for-growing-orchids.aspx
