i've had orchids for 10 years now, and without a scale invasion 4 years ago i would have 22 of them. sadly, i have but 6 remaining. i never got back into it after the scale devastation of '06, so i have not added a new orchid in quite some time. i have one which blooms for 4 days once a year, one which blooms off and on throughout the year, and one which bloomed 2 years ago and not a peep since, the other three have invisible blooms that only pixies can see, or so i thought.
luckily though, one of the first orchids i bought survived unscathed and gave me quite a surprise four days ago; it bloomed and has flowered into a most funny face. the reason for the surprise is that when i bought this plant 9 years ago it was but a baby and the shop owner told me it would mature in 5 years and then bloom. as you see, i had no expectation of it ever blooming once we got into year 8 and there was still no sign. it is a pretty thing to see, and has made my current "cold virus from the depths of hell" suffering brighter.
