This Month's Featured Bouquet - February 2012
Please Note: Although we will make every attempt to ship the products listed, occasionally we may need to substitute them with equally outstanding flower arrangements. If you strongly desire to receive those listed, please contact us at 800-625-8238 so that we may note your account accordingly.
(The product descriptions below are excerpts from our monthly newsletter. Click here to view it in its entirety.)
LOVELY, MAGICAL ORCHIDS FOR YOUR VALENTINE
For the Valentine's Day month of February, Endless Flowers celebrates by bringing you another vibrant bouquet featuring orchids. These intricate flowers possess shapes and perfumes that cast a sensual and sophisticated ambience. For centuries, people attributed magical powers to orchids, and if you know anything about the mind/body connections, clearly the ancients may have been on to something! So what have you got to lose? Try placing an orchid spray under your pillow to inspire dreams of your future sweetheart, or, if you are really impatient, mix them in a love potion like people did in the Middle Ages--just don't ask us for a recipe!
Your Dendrobium (den-DRO-bee-um) orchids were grown in Thailand, where many hybrid and wild orchid species grow. Dendrobium is a huge genus boasting more than 1,100 species, occuring throughout much of Asia. The word Dendrobium comes from two Greek words, dendron ("tree") and bios ("life") and literally means "one who lives on trees." This description is apt, because most Dendrobium species are epiphytic, meaning they grow on other plants.
Orchids favor cool places; if too warm, the buds will drop off before they bloom. The greens in your orchid bouquet are Israeli Ruscus grown in California. They may very well outlast your orchids!
Orchids grow under many conditions: cool, warm, shade, and full sun; so knowing each orchid’s natural habitat dictates how you will care for your plant. According to Kauai Orchids, these beautiful and hearty flowers grow naturally in India, Sri Lanka, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, the Pacific Islands, and New Zealand! Some orchids bloom in alternating sequences, and, under ideal conditions, they take quite a few days to wither – we’ve heard of some of them lasting two weeks or more. For them to last this long, which is unusual, they must have had excellent care, and perhaps the location of the vase was just right to sustain them. On the other end of the spectrum, some wild orchid species bloom and wither all at once. Needless to say, we’ll never be sending you those!
GREEKS AND APHRODISIACS
Orchid lore can be traced back to the early Greeks, who saw the delicate blossoms as symbols of virility, beauty, and love. Many people assume incorrectly that orchids are very fragile and that they are all very similar, so you may be surprised to learn that orchids can be grown in almost all possible environments, and that there is no plant family that is more diverse. In fact, the orchid family is the largest plant family known, growing wild on every continent except Antarctica. (What a surprise. What does grow in ice and snow, anyway?)
Orchids have some unbelievably unique characteristics. Some orchids have roots that can live on air – making us wonder how they can even sustain themselves. However, their roots are actually quite different from those of any other plant. A special sponge-like layer of tissue called “velamen” completely covers each root. This special sheathing acts as a moisture-collecting device while protecting the roots from direct sunlight. Wild orchids often find bizarre places to grow. Look for them in the crevices of rocks on the side of a cliff next time you’re out hiking!
AMAZING VARIATIONS
This flora family is amazingly diverse, ranging from the thimble-sized Mystacidium Caffrum to the 20-foot-tall Renanthera Storei. Some orchids produce blossoms no larger than a mosquito, while others grow as large as a 12” dinner plate. Our current propagation methods and hybridizing trends give us more choices than ever. The flower’s many species have different shapes, forms, and growth habits. Some yield large flowers of bright hues, and others have small flowers of softer tones. They may flower singly or in small groups of two or three per stem. Some will bloom in a big cluster or a branch, yet others bend down in a flowing cluster. Their scents also run a wide gamut, ranging from those without any smell, to ones that have a soft and subtle scent, on to others with a more full-bodied and pungent fragrance. It’s no wonder people grow orchids for a hobby; they’re so intriguing!
Cymbidium orchids are very popular these days, as they offer a magnificent floral display. Among the largest of orchids, their tall spikes have from ten to twenty blooms, ranging from three to six inches; and they last from one to three months when they are planted. Native to the foothills of the Himalayas, these beauties are accustomed to cool conditions and grow naturally at fairly high altitudes in many areas of the world, including China, India, Thailand, Burma, Taiwan, and parts of Australia.
