Blue Orchid

You already know that I have a fetish for garden centers and nurseries, especially at this time of the year when everything is fresh and vibrant so, I won't boor you again with my fascination of all things blossoming in spring time technicolor. However, I do have to bring up a certain "blue-blooded" bloom that caught my eye during my visit last week to Home Depot for yet another huge bag of potting soil.  I am replacing soil in pots and I have a lot of them so I need a lot of dirt and this particular trip resulted in my discovery of this china blue orchid.

It was raining cats and dogs as I passed them, fresh off of the delivery truck and shivering in the pouring rain. Their color was so vivid on that dull and dark day, at first glance, I thought that I was looking at a photograph and had to take a second and much closer look.

Determined to pass them by, I must have circled them at least three times and even checked out and got to the car with my bag of potting soil but, their handsome color kept calling me back and my willpower faded. The orchids, however, stayed true blue in all of their sophistication, loaded with pomp and circumstance. So, I bought one and brought it home to grace my kitchen table.

In the language of flowers, orchids convey magnificence, luxury and, of course, beauty. Their flamboyance brightened the entire room and brought charm and grace to the dreary day.   The creamy, transparent petals reveal blue veins intricately woven throughout that spread and bleed deep azure to their edges. The blue and cream tones change along with the changing light of the day.

This is turning out to be a lovely month where an April shower magically produced a "blue-blooded and very aristocratic flower" for me, giving new meaning to the term, "royal blue." Serendipity in the rain, and now in my kitchen, at its finest!  No wonder why blue is one of my favorite colors.

Oh, and don't forget the Leesburg Flower and Garden Show this coming weekend. If you go, stop by the Blooming Hill Booth for a quick hello. I will be located in the Lightfoot Cafe parking lot. My booth number is 151. Hope to see you there.
                                                                              I'm also counting down the days until my Blooming Hill garden shop opens on April 30th. We are painting and planning the finishing touches for the grand opening tea time. April showers bring lots of wonderful spring events to look forward to and as I go along, I have these extravagant looking orchids to keep me thinking   "nothing but blue skies, do I see."