A Second Chance

Five years ago I had a thriving Orchid Collection with around two dozen Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, Cattleya, Oncidium, Paphiopedilum, Vanda, and Cymbidium. And then my son arrived in the Summer of 2008, and then we bought a house in 2009 which shifted all my focus and energy to my outdoor garden, and finally another baby arrived in Spring 2011. The orchids withered away throughout all these transitions, downed by mealy bugs, starvation and thirst, and general lack of care. I figured it a lost cause, and after the last frost this year I dragged their corpses from the basement and sat them in a corner on the deck to await a trip to the Compost Pile. But then weeks turned into months, and as they lay forgotten a few began to show some signs of life. Surviving with only Mother Nature's water, and the high humidity of a Mid-Atlantic Summer, 3 managed to make a comeback. Today I gave them a good soaking, trimmed their roots and divided one, then re-potted. Thankfully, I've now been given a second chance to cultivate a glorious Orchid Collection.