Here we are in the teeth of a very hot summer. Shade in the garden or landscape is a good thing to keep us cool though it can be challenging to find the right plants for the shade. Ground orchids are ...

An unusual orchid is the Purple Passion ground orchid (Spathoglottis x hybridum ‘Purple Passion’). As opposed to many other orchids that grow above ground, suspended by other plants, the common name ...

The ground orchid (Spathoglottis plicata) is a terrestrial orchid, which is actually not how all orchids grow. Some orchids are epiphytic, which means they latch onto trees and do not need to be in ...

June and Jim Hitchner may not qualify as typical orchid growers. Long ago, the San Rafael couple gave up growing cymbidiums in pots, moving them inside in the winter and fretting over the amount of ...

I often find the most interesting botanical surprises in the least likely of places. One such discovery was during a walk up to my favourite dosa place in Malleswaram. I stopped short when I noticed ...

Q: Thirty-five years ago, a friend gave me some purplish flowers that resemble orchids. They bloom in the spring. I would appreciate any information. C.M., Friendswood A: You have Bletilla striata, a ...

In the many micro climates of our island, wild orchids bloom year around like Spathoglottis plicata, commonly known as the Philippine ground orchid, and Arundina graminifolia, or bamboo orchid.

Last week I wrote about orchids doing best when grown in containers, that confinement does them good. Well, wouldn’t you know it? Just a few days after writing those words I saw a plant I had never ...

Many of the hardy orchids can be a challenge to grow, but Chinese ground orchid likely is the most effortless. The pleated green leaves arise from a pseudobulb in springtime with exquisite orchid ...

Q: There is a beautiful little bulb I’ve seen in catalogs called a Chinese ground orchid. Can it grow here? Chinese ground orchid or bletilla is one of the loveliest of the ground orchids in my ...

It’s amazing just how many people are intimidated by orchids – by the myths connected to their cultivation, and by the folk lore which surrounds them. After all, orchids are just plants, albeit with ...