orchid

Orchids used to be rare and expensive, but not anymore. Thanks to breeding breakthroughs, orchids suitable for home display are now plentiful and affordable year round.

Phalaenopsis or moth orchid is among the loveliest and easiest to grow. If you like orchids even a little, you’ve probably bought or received one as a gift. Their graceful blooms last for weeks. “Phals” look lovely in any setting, formal or informal, and they make the perfect housewarming or holiday gift.

Once the blooms are over though, most people keep their orchid around for a few more weeks, but eventually it gets tossed. Sound familiar? With patience and the right attention, most “phals” can be coaxed to rebloom at least once. So don’t give up on that recalcitrant orchid just yet!

This article is not by any means a thesis on orchid care. It’s a quick narrative designed to help you coax your orchid to bloom again, along with a handy “cheat sheet” for troubleshooting.

Update July 17 – 29, 2025–– A devastating wildfire called the Dragon Bravo fire is ravaging the Kaibab plateau along the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The full extent of the damage is not yet clear, as the fire is still only partially contained but it has now moved inland, away from the rim. Unfortunately the historic main lodge and surrounding cabins are gone. The good news is that a fair amount of tree cover in the immediate vicinity somehow survived.

I have no words for the impact this destruction will have on the entire area for years if not decades to come. These images are now even more precious.

Since our gardens are fast asleep this time of year, I thought I’d deviate from my usual subjects and take you on an armchair mini-tour of some of the plant life at the Grand Canyon. The Southwest and the Grand Canyon in particular are favorite vacation destinations of my husband and myself.

Drawing on photos from our rim-to-rim hike in 1989, a 9-day rafting trip in 2008, and a 2013 return to the North Rim, I was able to pull together a collection of images that illustrate some of the plants found there, as well as a few amazing canyon vistas taken from the Colorado River.

Revisiting these photos, I once again feel the sun on my shoulders as the rasping caw of a raven ricochets off the canyon walls. Oh, to be back there right now! So let’s go…put on your virtual hiking boots and come along.

Help for A Languishing Orchid

Plant Life of the Grand Canyon