By Shannon Williams
After about a year and half, I have finally done it!!! I have an orchid that is blooming! When my mother in law passed away in 2020, one of my dear friends brought us a lovely Orchid. You know those kinds you see in the grocery store and think to yourself, I can grow that! Well it turns out I could not and killed it in only a few months. I was determined to grow one, so I got myself another one. When I got the first one, I got on Amazon and got a special planter, food and soil as I knew I was going to grow such beautiful orchids, why would I stop at just one.

Well I wasted my money, as despite what I did and what I read, it was not long for this world. I was determined, so I got myself another one about five months ago. It was blooming, so I enjoy the lovely flowers for a short while, till they fell off. The one I got came with a small cup that was to be used to water it once a week with warm water. I did that and only that! I had just about given up on getting a bloom and decided if it did not do anything after the new year, I would officially give up.

I did my best to encourage it, I talked to it, and I even sang it a song from the musical “Little Shop of Horrors “. For those of you that are not musical theater fans, the main character sings to a plant about growing. It turns out the plant needed blood to grow, but the song, “Grow for me” is a fun one and I sang it to my plant. Each and every week, I would use my little watering cup and give it a little drink of warm water. For months, nothing, and I thought well it is just not meant to be. Well low and behold about 10 days ago, I noticed some little buds! While I was on one of my trips it bloomed. You would think the hubby would have called or at least alerted the media to the event, but nothing. I guess that was ok, as I was so happy when I saw it upon my arrival back home. It looks like several more buds are coming out! I had finally done it, got an orchid to bloom!

For Christmas my older sister sent me a gift that was several amaryllis bulbs of different kinds. My mother’s sister used to send the same gift to my mother each year and my sister had continued the tradition and sends one to both myself and my younger sister. As if one blooming plant would not make my day, my amaryllis bloomed this week also; I could open a flower shop with my blooms!

I love flowers, always have. I worked at a flower shop during college and loved it. So many people think working at a flower shop is such a fun thing, but it is really hard work and I had cut up and burned hands (from the glue gun and stripping the roses) the whole time I worked there. I thought I had picked up some tips and tricks as I was able to grow African violets in my dorm room during college, but it has been many years since I had any inside plants. I might just have to get a grow light and get some of those going, (ok, I am feeling very proud, but I will not get carried away). Flowers just bring such joy to our life. I know many people think, why buy something that is going to die, but it is about watching them grow and bloom that gives hope to us all. I have included pictures of my bloomers, just to show that I really can make a plant bloom!! Happy blooms to us all.

[Jan-11-2022]