Me and this orchid have been through a lot. Orchids (from what I’ve gathered) are pretty hard to keep going – they like quite specific care – not something my level of greenfingeredness could really handle. However, against all odds this particular orchid has been able to survive in the environment I have created for it. I was given it about a year ago, as a moving in present from my sister. It was small and flowering and remained this way for about 3 months. Once the flowers dropped and the stem began to wither and brown I reached for the bin… yet this time I decided that I would attempt to keep it going, see if I could make it flower again. I sought advice from youtube, and pruned in the advised manner. To my delight a new fresh shoot appeared, flowers followed a month or so later.

It didn’t last long – the fresh new sprig was cruelly decapitated by the blind. I came home to find a forlorn looking stem flopped on the sill – I was distraught, moved to tears. I’m not good with plants, but this, my symbolic ‘moving in’ orchid, had survived the odds, only to be ended with one fell swoop. A new one was promised by Ray, but I couldn’t let it go. I persevered and now look at it! I am routinely teased over the love and affection I direct at this plant. Long live my orchid.