Blooms at Linderhof

Now that the garden is quieting down -- even the mums are fading -- it is nice to have blooms at least inside.

Our love of orchids date back to teenage years when I read Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe's mysteries. The first of the foodie mysteries. Nero had gourmet meals and spent his time in his garden -- his inside garden on the top floor of his brownstone.

We, too, love gourmet meals but I don't have a Fritz to cook them! Nor do I keep to such a strict schedule as Nero did.

But I share his love of orchids and although my top floor is an attic -- not an orchid greenhouse, I successfully grow these beautiful plants in the breakfast room.

I've two blooming right now -- this white one and a splotchy pink and white one. Anyone can buy a blooming orchid, but it does take proper feeding and lots of light to get them to rebloom.

The best thing about orchid blossoms is that they last a long long time -- not the week or two of other blooming plants. This beauty is four years old and it has bloomed for me every year that I've had it.

If you haven't tried you hand at orchid raising, do, for it is most rewarding. They really don't need a greenhouse to survive and bloom -- a sunny windowsill is all that it takes.