Death Row For Orchids.

When I moved into the co-op, I decided to buy an orchid at Aldi Supermarket. I really didn't decide so much as was told to, by an older woman that was rifling through them. She said they were impossible to kill and I had to have one. Well, this post is my way of telling her, she doesn't know me.

The orchid was beautiful. I want to say I treated it well but I'd be lying. I watered it when I felt like and moved it around a hundred times. For the bad behavior it rewarded me with blooms so exquisite, they would impress the finikyest horticulturalist. Six months into taking care of it, I realized that the flowers were dropping from the stalk. Then came the horror. I must have broken the stalk when putting up my curtains. I quickly Googled the care of orchids and got enough conflicting information to leave me in a state of, “Huh?”.

As I could do nothing but watch the treasured blooms whither away. I decided to buy another orchid. This one was from Trader Joe's. It was beautiful. I put it alongside the first one in hopes that it would somehow magically reach out and heal it. No such luck, the first one, envious of it's new rival, grew amazingly large leaves but refused to bloom. Three months, to the day, the first one started losing blooms. First it was one every two weeks, then it was a mass suicide of browned orchid petals jumping to their deaths.

Again, while at Trader Joe's, I picked up an orchid, a cool looking hybrid one. I decided to put it in a different location, for fear of some orchid disease that had killed the first two. Several weeks later, the third orchid started losing leaves and shoots. I felt responsible, so I bought larger pots and orchid food. After re-potting and feeding, the first two orchids looked really promising and the leaves grew larger and larger. The hybrid looked sadder and sadder, hanging its head in a shame filled demise. After it gasped its last orchid breath, the other two began mourning for it. I fed them again but the positive effect of the first feeding was not indicative of the second. In desperation, I put one out in the sun for a day and the other in a shaded area (some of the conflicting information I had received.). The one in the sun lost most of it's leaves, the one in the shade started browning.

Two weeks ago, the kids and I were at Trader Joe's. I asked them to pick the next orchid to die. After all, we were probably sentencing it to death or at least a non-fruitful life. Sure enough, this weekend, the blooms are slowly dissolving.

Orchids are like people.

Some never have issues and coast through their lives.

Some bloom, hit major setbacks but grow strong and will hopefully bloom again.

Some squander their time in the sun until they wither away.

Some cling to life and struggle to survive with little or no hope.