Orchids on Bamboo Lattice Revisited

“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.” -Gertrude Jekyll

Orchids on Bamboo Lattice was one of the first projects we did for Craft Organic and that was in March of 2011. It has changed a bit since then so we wanted to show you an update because two of the Vanda are in bloom including the largest! Plus, the big one took so damned long to bloom again we wanted to document it!

Check HERE for before photos!

You will also notice the roots and how they have sprouted from the stalk at higher and higher points [photo below]. This is what you want to happen. Some people instinctively want to cover the roots by placing them deeper in a larger basket with orchid mix but that just isn’t necessary. In their natural habitat, these are mostly epiphytic and the roots would be attaching themselves to their host tree while being exposed to the elements.

The photo below shows the side view and how wide the roots spread.

Some of the Vanda roots have grown out and are wrapping themselves around the Vanda next to it making sure it has a firm hold [photo below]. This is also a good thing – the roots are healthy and doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing. No need to worry – the big Vanda is not trying to strangle the little Vanda because she thinks she is prettier.

Below: You can see the roots clinging to the bamboo – then it gets a wild hair and takes off in the other direction, but that’s fine,

We recently added a couple smaller Epidendrum orchids to the bamboo lattice. We tied them on with some raffia and we’re waiting for them to establish themselves by grabbing hold of the bamboo with their roots. Of course the squirrels love giving us grief ….actually it’s the “plant man” here who thinks they are demon spawn but I still think they’re cute even though they are rodents.

In the photo below you can see the whole thing – or 98% of it anyway.

This is the first time the large Vanda has bloomed sine the photos you saw in 2011 – talk about needing patience! The smaller has bloomed twice since the original photos. Both Epidendrum have also bloomed once each – both Vanda on the right side have yet to bloom – fickle little shits!

In the photo below you can see the scale of the plant with the “Plant Man” next to it.

We hope you enjoyed revisiting this project and maybe we’ll do it again in another year or so! It would be nice if all six orchids on the bamboo lattice bloomed at once, right?! We think we have a better chance of seeing flying cars before we die!

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