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:)

Monday, February 14, 2011

Forced To Face My Fear

Yes, you read that right. This past weekend, I was forced to face a fear. This is a story with a happy ending…at least so far! ha-ha

We all have something in this world that intimidates us. Go on…admit it. I have. In fact I have openly admitted to you all several times this particular fear. It is an irrational fear…not based on anything except pure uneducated assumptions.

What am I afraid of?

Let me ask you how much you remember about me….

What is the ONLY plant in the whole list of tropicals that I have mentioned again and again that I find intimidating? I have said I think they are gorgeous…but very intimidating.

Yes…that’s right…ORCHIDS!

Stop laughing….right now! Here’s the story about the kick in the bum, that good old me got last weekend.

I was having kind of “one of those days” where nothing was going smoothly for me. If I wanted to pick it up…it dropped…if I wanted to clean it, I’d dirty it. I had been having one blonde moment after another…and was just so discouraged. I was simply not having a good day. I was about to give up and just go watch some t.v. when it happened.

The Doorbell rang.

Who the heck is coming to my door? I plunked my way across the floor to the front door and opened it carefully. I had seen the Fed Ex truck out front a few moments earlier, and remembered thinking that the people next door sure do get a lot of deliveries…BUT this time…the Fed Ex delivery was for me!

Upon opening the door…the woman dressed in a Fed Ex uniform looked at me and said “I am just making sure you are home…I have a HUGE box for you” and she walked away.

Now who on earth would send me something in a HUGE box? I had no idea what was happening…or how much I was going to grin when I saw it.

The box…it turns out… to my absolute delight was from ….none other than….COSTA FARMS! woooooo hooooo!

I signed for that big old box and slammed that door shut…grabbed the box and ran for the kitchen. I ripped open that puppy like a chocoholic rips into….. well you get the idea….

I see leaves!!!! Oh My! LEAVES!!! They sent me PLANTS!!!! Yippie…Yippie!!!! (happy dancing!!!!)

That is when I realized WHAT type of leaves I was looking at!

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EEK!!!! They sent me 4 of the most beautiful Orchids I have ever seen! OYI! Now What! I am sure to kill them just by looking! Oh my! What am I going to do?

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I’ll tell you what!…Tootsie is going to face her fear of the delicate Orchid and grow these babies like a pro!

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I whipped out my gardening books…ignored all tweets and face book comments…didn’t move a muscle until I learned a few things about Orchids.

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Turns out…they are not that hard! (or so they say) Costa Farms says they are EASY! They are not that delicate (ya right) AND they require very little attention! (I sure hope all of this is true!!!! lol)

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The Orchid, it turns out, is a very diverse plant. To learn all that I have learned about these plants, visit the Costa Farms Orchids are Easy page and learn everything you will need to know!

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Just click the Orchid logo below to go straight to that page!

Orchids-Are-Easy

I put my Orchid babies in the bathroom where they will stay until I find the exact perfect spot for them in my house. The light in there is bright but not harsh and there is plenty of humidity in there.

So….here I am …facing my fears…and loving these Orchids! Costa Farms sent me these wonderful plants, and I could not be happier! I wonder if they knew they were giving me a kick in the comfort zone and forcing me to branch out in my growing ambitions?

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I am so thrilled that the wonderful people at Costa Farms not only have featured me this month over on their website as gardener of the month

TMFG

but that they were so thoughtful as to send me some plants! I never in a million years dreamed that anything like this would happen to me! THANK YOU COSTA FARMS!!!!

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Not only did you make my day, but you forced me to learn something new about these wonderful plants, and moved me from intimidation…into determination!

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Do you have a plant that intimidates you?

What Orchid Tips can you offer to this gardener?

Are you ready for this week’s Fertilizer Friday yet?

To learn more about Orchids from Melissa of Costa Farms, please join us in the Garden Chat Monday evening! To get all the details about this event, please refer to my sidebar and click the garden chat logo to go to the official page. I look forward to seeing you there!

Until next time…hugs and smiles, and happy gardening!

*)*)*)

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.

22 comments:

Steve Asbell said...

Reading up on how to take care of them is the best thing you could possibly do! Most people kill their orchids by overwatering, and its important to never let the medium get sopping wet. Let me know if you have any questions!

Darla said...

OH no, not yet for me...I look at the Orchids every time I go to the nursery....way out of my comfort zone...I can't offer any tips at all. I am content to follow the progress of yours for now...! You deserve this gift and if anyone can make them thrive, it will be you.

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Yes, the orchids I just bought about a month ago. They look just like yours and beyond watering once per week I have no idea what to do with them.

I will be watching yours Tootsie and your hints. Mine have some beautiful flowers on them but have dropped several buds. I think they got chilled the day I brought them home.

Eileen

Alison said...

I've never grown them. but I have a niece who has, and her MIL is an old hand with them. So here's basically all I know about orchids. They don't like to be soggy or left standing in water, but they do like humidity. So they should be put on top of a bed of small rocks, that is then filled with water. But the base of the pot should not be in the water. Basically the water evaporating from below the plant keeps it humid.

And don't worry if the roots try start climbing out of the pot.

Lucky You! They are beautiful.

Teresa said...

Still a bit nervous about Orchids, they are intimidating to me too. Can't wait to see how they thrive under Tootsies magical touch. Keep us posted!

Infatuated with Homes and Gardens said...

Lucky you :)
From what I know (not much) drainage,drainage and then more drainage!

Terra said...

You go girl and face your fear.
These orchids are stupendously beautiful and will give you even more joy as they bloom for you.

Unknown said...

Wow their so pretty . I always loved them . Our preacher's wife grew them in her north kitchen window above the sink . I remember going there and seeing these flowers so big and so pretty . Always full of blooms .
I know you'll do good and love them .
I'm glad for you .
Mary

Sandy said...

I have loads of Orchids.. here it's the best weather for them.. they hang from my tree limbs in the front yard..they bloom maybe once a year though.. but at different times. when I first moved in this home I tied them to the tree limb. I used some of the burlap from the palm trees as anchors and they thrive..You just have to find a good warm spot because they love humid and hot.... Right now they all look sad because we have had some chilly weather, so in the nights I tossed towels over them for protection but they are fine... Once it warms up I'll do a post and show the photos... Don't be afraid of them.. just love them!
Good luck!
Sandy

Happy To Be/ Gl♥ria said...

OH Girl doing the happy dance for you..just keep my name away from them and the'll live ha ha!!
I did have a beautiful one one time and it died ha ha!! Happy VD to you my dear northern daughter..Hugs and smiles Gloria

Millie said...

Good for you! I love orchids...and if my 91 year old Mom can grow them (she has about 100) you can too!

Farah said...

Your fear makes you more careful ...isn't... so beautiful Orchid really love to see your flowers...
Happy Valentine’s Day … hope you spare a little bit of your valuable time for me …
http://craftaworld.blogspot.com/
Love
Farah

trash talk said...

Orchids are my arch-nemesis, so when you get them all figured out...tell me!
Debbie
P.S. What a wonderful gift to open during the winter months.

The JR said...

Beautiful. If anybody can grow them I know it's you.

Lona said...

Congrats on the new flowers Glenda! Orchids are so beautiful but they scare the heck out of me. They arrived at just the right time for Valentines too. Have fun with your new orchids and I am certain they will love your greenhouse.

deb said...

They are gorgeous! I love orchids but they don't love me. Just killed my 5th one...over a period of several years. BUT I just received one from my middle son! I'll be watching you...on my way to that link NOW!!
*hugs*deb

Alberta said...

Glenda, your orchids are stunning! I myself have yet to try them but will reconsider once I check out Costa Farms's post! Thanks for sharing your fears with us.

Diann said...

They really are just beautiful! I'll see how well you handy these beauties before i even think about getting one. yup, they scare me too!

Laurie said...

I have orchids -- have had them for years -- and they really are pretty easy to grow. My Phalanopsis orchids live in my bathroom and bloom regularly for me. I water them maybe once a week -- I stick my finger down into bark potting mix and, if it's dry, I give them a drink. Because they're in the bathroom, they don't need any additional humidity. Good luck with yours -- they look spectacular! And what a lovely surprise for Valentine's Day!

La Petite Gallery said...

Congratulations, Have had a hard time with them in Maine. I have four kinds, In florida they
were outside in the yard, ZI water thim every week or so and feed them maybe once a month. Let me know
what I am doing wrong.. Enjoy them , it's a thrill when they bloom. yvonne

Garden Lily said...

I have 2 orchids on a North facing windowsill, where they sit neglected for months at a time. They are planted in moss, which I soak under a running tap, then place back on the windowsill. Occasionally the leaves start to shrivel from lack of watering, but When I finally remember to water them, they occasionally celebrate by starting a flower shoot. Not large and full of blooms like in the nursery, but a few flowers, nonetheless. So I have a great respect for those orchids, that they survive very harsh conditions in my home. Enjoy yours!

Carol said...

I love them too. I had one when I lived in an apartment not too long ago and I loved it and some African Violets to death! Good luck --they are beautiful! Carol