Carole's orchid

Finally it feels like spring is on its way and although there's still not much happening in the garden yet, indoors is a different story as Carole's orchid has started flowering again. The orchid was a present for Carole's birthday last summer and has been little more than a stick over the winter, but it now has several large buds and one very large and very pretty flower.

Apparently the secret is not to cut them back too much over the winter once they've finished flowering as the new shoots start from a little knuckle in the stem - if you prune it more severely past this point then it will stay a stick for good.


The photo was taken using light from the kitchen window with Carole holding a sheet of green paper behind it to emphasise the flower - spring is on its way!