If I only had ONE blooming indoor plant to enjoy for the rest of my life, it would be this one. I’ve never been so enthralled by a flower before. Ever.

Sure, I like roses, African violets, daises (my mother’s favorite) and of course daffodils (I planted a whole hill of those little guys — using hundreds of bulbs) — but this one? The Vanda Orchid? Wow. Just Wow.

Mine is called a “blue” Vanda orchid, but it’s not blue folks (I’m not a fan of blue) it’s purple. I LOVE purple and this flower is the PERFECT shade of lovely lavender-purple. I’ve seen another Vanda — just one — that was a deep royal purple. After considering the cost, I elected not to buy that deeper-hued second one — although I’ve regretted that a few times since (and I can’t find them anywhere now). Vandas are considered rare.

Now, with that said, I’ll admit that I’ve never been able to get an orchid to bloom after I brought it home from the nursery or store. Not once. I buy them, enjoy them, the flowers eventually fade and fall off, the greenery starts to look sad and then it dies. I kill orchids…it’s just something I do. Until now.

My beautiful Vanda Orchid just blessed me with a second blooming session (the first was full-tilt when I bought this expensive little guy in May of this year). It was my Mother’s Day present to myself and I didn’t even feel *too* guilty about that.

I don’t know if it’s the light in the window where she lives, or if it’s the fact that I put “water orchid” on my to-do list for every single Monday morning (and have only missed it a couple of times since May). Either way, this flower is amazing. It has no soil. None. It’s like an air plant I had back in high school — an air plant that blooms with lots of wow-appeal.

It is magic as far as I’m concerned.

It bloomed! The only care it gets (besides lots of conversation and admiration) is being watered once a week. I fill the huge vase with water to just above the roots and let it sit there for 30 minutes. Then, I pour out the water and return the orchid to the front window where it gets light all day, but no direct sunlight.

Wish me luck on keeping this little guy going, because it’s one of those things that makes me happy every time I see it, think about it or care for it. Yeah, it’s my “happy” flower! 🙂

NOTE: Other confessions about greenery: If I only had one type of vine it would be a huge pothos (I have several in small containers now and love the fact that it’s nearly impossible to kill them — even with brutal neglect). My favorite indoor tree is the Ficus (and I hope to get another one of those soon – even though they are messy, drop their leaves and are temperamental). When I have the time, I’ll try a bonsai tree again (probably an evergreen bonsai of some type). Maybe once I retire, I can care for a diminutive tree without killing it. I realize that houseplants are not really a “simple” choice, but when they give you great joy, they are worth the trouble.  😉