The Orchid Has Bloomed

We got an orchid plant from my brother and SIL as a housewarming gift when we moved to northern Virginia from Capitol Hill five years ago. The flowers lasted the usual life span. Bur ever since that first flowering, it never bloomed again - until Valentine’s Day. What I thought was just another root turned out to be a spike in October. We watched it mature from nothing to a large branch that eventually had five flowers. It’s amazing how long it took for the spike to grow - and then in such a short time, each bud opened just a couple of days apart. So I took photos of each of the five flowers  - comparing them to see if they were identical or a little different. They all look pretty much the same, but there are subtle changes in the design shapes on the petals. I hope the flowers last for a long time - and I am almost afraid to cut the spike again once they fall. Orchids are tricky to keep going. If nothing else we were fortunate to see another showcase.