The Mothers Day Orchid Blooms Two Years Later

Almost two years ago, Princess Three ordered me an orchid online for mothers day. Here is a link to that post. 


You can't really tell in the pictures on that post how small the orchid was. It came in a little white vase that was about as tall as my little finger. 

Without anything next to the orchid, you can't see size and get a height reference. When the girls came home for Easter, Princess Three laughed and laughed at the orchid saying she couldn't believe how small it was because online it looked so big. 

I have never had an orchid and had no idea of how to care for one so I called my orchid Guru Step-Mom and she told me to put an ice cube in in about once a week. Since it was so small, I did half an ice cube. 

Many people would see it and comment on how they would throw out their orchids once the blooms fell off but I figured since it was such little work and so small in size, I would keep it. 

During my divorce, I got rid of all of my plants as I didn't have time to care for them. I had many that were older than my children but it was more than I could deal with. I hadn't had any plants in the home for probably eight to ten years. 

Now, for the past two years, I have had this tiny orchid. It hasn't bloomed in nearly two years and I wondered if it were ever going to bloom. I have had to transplant it twice now as it has overgrown its little containers.

I have also trimmed the roots to keep them from strangling themselves and it seemed to like that. 

I gave up using the ice cubes as in the small pots, the ice would sometimes make trauma spots on the green leaves so I use room temperature water, soak some pete moss I put in the bottom of the container. I dump out any access water after about 15 seconds and then put the orchid root system into the moss. 

For some reason, the orchid has liked this method better and for the first time in two years, I have blooms! I was so excited that I shared pictures on our family chat. 

Princess Three has apologized over and over for the orchid commenting on the size but I love it. If it were bigger, I don't know that I would have kept it or would have been able to keep it alive. Since it is small, I think there is no pressure and I can enjoy it. 

Each day now for weeks I have enjoyed seeing the bloom buds get bigger and bigger and yesterday, we had bloom one, today, I have bloom two and three will be close behind. 

It also looks like it is still growing its stem so who knows.... I am so excited about it but Princess Three's exact comment on my pictures and comment on our chat was, "The worlds saddest orchid!" with a few choice emoji's. 

I wrote back telling her that I love my orchid as it was a gift from her and that I enjoy it every day for the past two years in my kitchen window and now it is blooming it is beautiful! I LOVE IT!

So, I wanted to share the beauty of it with you. It may still seem small, but the blooms are beautiful and I am enjoying them. I hope you enjoy them as well! 

Have a blessed and orchid filled day!