Aunt Ginny’s gift to me; this plant is at least 40 years old and still thriving!

I love this orchid!  I have treasured her for nearly 40 years through all my life passages.  When my Aunt Ginny passed away while I was still a teen, I was given this plant which she and her son David bred.  This plant has weathered moving during a blizzard, being neglected during my child rearing years, and being ravaged by grazing house cats!  This year she offered 8 beautiful blooms to grace my home.  She sits in a south window and near an air vent.  I water once a week and keep the pot suspended on a bed of rocks.  The rocks come from our farm and others as part of our family tradition of bringing back rocks from vacation spots. I feed about once a month with an orchid fertilizer diluted in water.  I give her a bath occasionally in the kitchen sink to wash the leaves. I repot when the roots reach out and the potting soil is broken down.  A trick I learned was to put gravel or rocks over a section of the surface of the potting soil and this is where I water; does not disturb the potting material nor the roots when I water.

While this treasured lady has sentimental value to me, the grace and beauty she brings my home is value enough to recommend orchid growing to everyone.  I’ve included an orchid growing segment from the houzz website to help you get started on this rewarding life’s simple pleasure.