Oriental Satsuma Bowls and Planters

I found this gorgeous Royal Satsuma bowl Royal Satsuma bowl that I can place one of my clay orchid pots into so I discovered that even though I normally collect Chinese cache pots I can still use the bowls too. I put a paper towel in the bottom of the bowl to protect it from getting scratched by the clay orchid pot. It has a Geisha scene in it and golden gilt moriage dots inside and outside. A very unique scene as I have not been able to find another one like it on ebay auctions even in the completed and sold listings.
You can also find these Satsuma bowls at estate sales locally sometimes. I like to look at the local estate sale listings because they show more pictures of what is for sale so I don't waste my time driving to see things I'm not interested in. So be sure to keep in mind using ornamental decorative bowls to display your potted orchids in.

Orchids Offer Inspiration Indoors

Orchids can be grown indoors in the summer or winter as they are very versatile and easy to care for. You usually see them growing indoors at your local department stores for what seems like weeks at a time. They are sold in plastic baggies hanging on the sides of racks in those places so sometimes go without being watered for weeks and still survive. That is why you don't need to fret if you don't get home on time from an extended vacation - indoor orchids will survive. I water mine once a week by soaking the entire pot in a bowl of water in the kitchen sink so all the media can soak up the moisture...so this keeps them happy for a week - they could probably survive 2 weeks after that but I prefer to soak them once a week for quite a few hours. Orchids are a good plant to give to someone that is too old or too busy to do much caring for plants. Just tell them to water once a week and maybe stop by and visit to check on their orchid to make sure they aren't over watering it or if it needs to be soaked. This gives you another reason to drop by for a visit. Orchids are very slow growing but once they do bloom their blooms last for many more weeks than your average flower.
There is nothing better than caring for an orchid for sometimes up to 2 years before you get to see it bloom as an orchid needs to be mature before it does bloom. The wait is worth it if you were wise enough to pick out a bright flashy fascinating orchid that you knew ahead of time what it would come to look like. I keep pictures of orchids I plan on getting someday within view of my computer so I can look at them easily.

Do Orchids and Flowers Inspire Us

The flowers of Giverny inspired Monet to paint. Gazing on natures beauty inpires us to think beyond ourselves and ponder how much more there is to life than our daily preponderances. Do flowers look at us and wish they could be us -  coming and going in a melee of noise and and vibration. I imagine myself as a flower looking out upon the world - a single view for a very short life...but I would have no concept of it being short. I would only know to try to live for as long as I could and bloom proudly until there was no amount of water that could save me and I would wither and die - my only hope that a remnant of my seed would fall onto fertile ground and carry on my beautiful colors and vibrancy. Perhaps rescuing orchids and growing them is humanities struggle to preserve beauty and help it live forever...or as long as possible...as long as there is someone to care for it. I remember doing yard work with a young man that struggled with the idea of it...saying - why are we doing this - the trees and grass do not care that we are here - they would be better off without us. I had no reply - he was right - they would grow along without us pulling weeds or raking the ground clear of leaves. I'm still not sure why I kept on raking after that comment....probably because I could not stand to see the place a neglected mess. You do have to pull weeds to get some flowers to grow and clean up around them and care for them. I think he would be more content to live in a jungle and I do hope he does someday and is bitten well for it. I still do plenty of yard work outdoors but I know someday I will be too old to do that anymore. My plan when I get old is to be able to look at my small collection of indoor orchids on a shelf in my room and take care of them as that may be all I can manage in my old age. Those orchids could actually outlive me - I have one orchid that is 15 years old already. I plan on giving my orchids to my heirs or donating them to a garden club. I like the idea that they could live beyond my years...besides all the flowers and trees I've planted in my lifetime...another gift of beauty to the world.

Dreaming of Orchids

I have found myself too busy lately to be able to search for and buy another orchid...I may have to leave my orchids in the care of my room mate so now is not the time to add to the collection as he will have his hands full just taking care of my dog too. So I will wait patiently until the stress and uncertainty subsides and I know if I am coming or going. I truly would like to just stay here and not travel as I am the only one that really knows how to take care of the plants and keep up with the weeds around the outside plants. I am not a big fan of traveling so avoid it until absolutely necessary. I think the airlines have made traveling more of a hassle so I never feel bad when an airline stock goes down as I don't relish being packed like sardines even though I am quite thin and can fit easily into their economy seats there are people around me who cannot. So I guess I will just have to dream of more orchids when things settle down and I know I will be around to care for them.
One great thing about orchids is they don't need much care just soak them in a bowl in the sink for a few hours once a week...or if they are hanging under an eve outside soak them outside hanging up or on the ground.

Asian Orchid Pots

I am still on the lookout for vintage or antique asian orchid pots to add to my collection. I scour ebay, the local flea markets and garage sales for that special bargain find as I know that someday in the far flung future I will have too many and will probably end up selling them the same way...but hey isn't that what collections are all about. I have a modest collection of peacock trinket boxes, ceramics, vases and am always on the lookout for those too. If you are into collecting any particular trinket as a special reward to yourself or just because you gotta have it then you know what I mean. Some woman collect handbags - mine is atrocious according to my cousin  who is a handbag afficiando. I get no joy from collecting handbags so that will never happen. I just can't picture myself putting a handbag on the shelf by the window and admiring it - that I can only see doing with asian orchid pots and oriental planters. They are so much prettier especially if they have some gold gilding on them. I also love the floral designs or geisha motifs. Of course if I find one with a peacock on it that is a double special prize.

Vintage Oriental Planters for my Orchids

Blc. Memoria George Butler
"Hebrita Ruffels"

I found a great deal on ebay for vintage oriental planters for my orchids and am looking forward to finding more. I just prefer to display my orchids in colorful pretty ceramic pots rather than just plain clay or plastic pots. I just place the pots they come in - into these four to five inch diameter planters and they look so much better on the shelf that way. I am leaning more towards the vintage oriental planter look rather than the more modern plainer looking planters that are manufactured these days. It's also alot of fun to keep an eye out at flea markets and garage sales for these types of planters. I like to think of finding a special planter as just another reward to myself  for a job well done. Yes money is a reward but it is what you do with that money that makes it more rewarding and especially if you can find yourself a great deal.

Finding Orchids in Spike

I recently got lucky and found a Lowes cattleya orchid showing a new spike, a spike is where a flower is going to bloom out of. Most of the Lowes orchids are quite young so this is very unusual to find. So when you are out looking for orchids keep an eye out for a sprout that looks like a spike coming out of the base of the plant. I expect with enough sunlight and watering that this orchid will flower in the fall. It was quite a large specimen for a department store orchid too. Now I have a few orchids without my favorite oriental cache pots I need to start looking for those to put them in.