Long ago, my brother gifted me with a Ralph Glory orchid. That is genus Phaphiopedilum, or the slipper of Aphrodite, for you purists. It was blooming when he gave it to me, of course, and I figured that I would never see this lovely plant from the Himalayas bloom again.
I put it into the bathroom, figuring that it needed lots of humidity and that nearly killed it. Next, I moved it into a fish tank to help it recover, but it just looked even more unhappy in there. Years went by. I gave up on it. I moved it to the stainless steel wire shelving unit in the kitchen where there is lots of foot traffic, but the sun is bright. I stopped looking at it.
Then, my brother visited and glanced at the plant. He said, "Wow, this is a happy orchid! Is this the Ralph Glory I gave you?"
Sure enough it was. He noted a new flower spike coming from within a new growth of leaves. That was last year. It is blooming again this year and Sean took a photo. I guess the Ralph Glory has found a new home. Now my brother wants to gift me with more orchids.
Isn't it pretty?
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2 comments:
Wow, good job not giving up on the plant and tossing it. A little neglect can go a long way.
I don't throw away plants until they are obviously dead. I am too much of a Buddhist at heart for that. But thanks! Guess you don't, huh?
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