Saturday, February 4, 2012

An ice cube a week


Jan and I went to Beth’s yesterday to inspect her attic renovation and eat lunch.  The attic make over has been on her list for some time, but came together quite suddenly when the storage facility a mile away offered a free month.  I believe the plan was to transfer the contents of the attic to the storage unit over the last two weeks of December, enjoy a month’s free rent while the workers made the conversion, then bring all the stuff back again before February 1st. 

Of course there were plan snags, but the attic will be quite a room when finished.  It will be a multi purpose room, office for her business, a sewing and craft area, and storage under the eaves.  I counted at least ten separate electrical outlets.  Good thinking.  Pot light holes in the ceiling flooded the room with daylight.  Three skylight holes mounted out on the back side of the roof funnel the light from right overhead through tubes.   She’s up to paint and trim; the big reveal is not too distant.

Over lunch I admired the orchid in the window. I thought orchids were a bit tichy, and asked Beth how she kept it looking so happy.  She said they require very little water, but do need it once a week.  They would gingerly take the plant from the window, put it in the sink, water sparingly, put it back.  Aside from the nuisance, she feared for the plant’s safety. 

Until she read some orchid advice.  They thrive on a teaspoon of water a week.  The amount in an ice cube.  So, it’s an ice cube a week for the orchid, which can sit undisturbed in the window and gracefully complement the pale lavender perfume dabber Grandma Cox gave me sixty or so years ago.

10 comments:

  1. So delicate and beautiful...both the orchid and the perfume dabber.

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  2. Orchids are such fearsome things. I would never try to raise one. I stick to safe plants like philodendrons and spider plants.

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  3. Amazing how something so delicate can survive on so little! It's almost impossible to have too many electrical sockets these days, we thought we had over-catered when we planned ours, but now find they are merely adequate!

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  4. I have three orchids and have been in the "stick it in the sink" school, but I am going to try the ice cube trick. One of my orchids has been going strong for five years (the other two are newer.) Thanks!

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  5. Hi, I have followed you home. That is a spectacular orchid. Ours live outside and flower when they feel like. I am sure I am doing everything wrong for them. I do water them from time to time with water from my worm farm.

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  6. If all it takes is an ice cube a week, then I won't kill the orchid. I may venture into the orchid section of the garden nursery...

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  7. I have a couple of friends who grow orchids. It's always nice to see what's blooming.

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  8. As much as I would an orchid, I am afraid my pound puppy, Toni Louise would eat it. She seems to possess the spirit of my old Saint Bernard, Louise. If she does, she will not outgrow her peculiar habits.

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  9. Thanks for the tip about the ice cube......maybe I have not been underwatering my poor orchid plants after all.

    But.....they have not flowered since the first year.....what should I feed them?

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  10. Okay. Beth is my new hero. Anyone who can grow an orchid . . .

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