ORCHIDS

     I started growing orchids about a year and a half ago, and have really enjoyed it, and learned a lot. Orchids are NOT hard to grow. On this page, I thought I would share some of my orchid photos with you. And a warning: You can't stop with one orchid. They are addictive. (I heard this when I first started growing orchids, but I didn't believe it then. I do now.)

Click on the pictures for a larger view.

	Angraecum giryamae - this is one of the first orchids I ever got, and is so rewarding! It bloomed around Christmas, and stayed in bloom for two or three months. It is very fragrant, but only at night. My friends and I think it smells like pears.
	Angraecum veitchii - another Angraecum, with very waxy, elegant flowers. This is very fragrant at night, but also smells good during the day, just not as strongly.
	Onc. Twinkle Fragrance Fantasy - These are charming miniature plants that have clouds of small white flowers. It's hard to really get an idea of how small they are from the picture. Each flower is about as big as a dime. They are also fragrant (you never guessed that, did you?)
	Onc. Twinkle "Red Fantasy" - this is even cuter (in my opinion) than the white Twinkle. Little pink flowers that last about a month. One plant in a 2" pot had 4 blooming spikes. I like that kind of plant :-).
	Paph. Freckles "Show Stopper" AM/AOS - this is a gorgeous white "lady slipper" orchid. It is a very elegant looking orchid, and very easy to grow. The AM/AOS after the name means that it received an Award of Merit from the American Orchid Society.
	Phalaenopsis - I don't know the name of this, I wish I did. Last year it bloomed for seven or eight months, then it rested for about five, and now it has three spikes that are just starting to bloom. The flowers are very waxy.
	Phalaenopsis Ken Peterson - this little orchid is very cute and lovely at the same time. The colors remind me of a sunset. Phals are the perfect plant for Texas, because they love shade and warm temperatures.
	Pink Phalaenopsis - This is the first orchid I got to watch the flower spike develop and bloom on. It is a fascinating, and slow, process. It takes a month or two (or longer) from the time the spike starts to the time the blooms actually open. The good part is that the flowers usually last that long or longer. You certainly learn patience with this hobby!
	Phalaenopsis schilleriana - This is a species orchid from the Philippines. It has spikes that branch, and one spike can bear a hundred flowers or more. (I haven't seen it do that yet, but I hope someday I will!)
	Phalaenopsis - this is a classic white phal, that shows why people call them "Moth Orchids". Very simple and yet very refreshing.

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