11/05/2026
This orchid was bought for me for mother's day, 56 days ago.
It's the first orchid I've had that has survived this long 🙏 I've kept the instruction label to make sure I'm watering it correctly and provided a well lit, cool space, I carefully remove any dead leaves when they appear. So far it hasn't lost any blooms but at some point I expect it will because I'm realistic that a plant can't grow like this forever, natural changes will happen that I can't control.
For now it seems happy and I'm clearly doing something right to keep it alive. I keep checking for signs that's it's not coping or thriving, such as noticing when the room feels too hot, when it might need a drink or when it needs moving or pruning.
It makes me think about how important the right environment is for growth, and not just for my orchid. How it sits quietly, doing it's thing, seeming to cope well and not causing any bother. It grows and sometimes lets me know what it needs when a leaf turns brown. More often it's a case of wait and see because it can't tell me what it needs so I have to be mindful to keep checking every so often.
It hasn't yet needed anything extra, no changes to it's environment or any adaptions so up to now it's been a very easy orchid to look after. I'm aware that could change at any time though. If it starts to show signs it isn't coping then I'll make some changes and give it some extra support because I'm invested in this orchid.
I might not always get it right or know exactly what it needs but I'll be ready to respond and try what I can to help it continue to thrive. I might ask other people, Google for information because I'm not an orchid expert, or refer back to the label. If the orchid could talk I'd ask it directly what it needed as it's voice would be vital here.
If only it was that easy to improve things for people, especially for children and young people for whom the environment isn't right. Just like the orchid, they can't always tell us what they want or need, or things can change without warning. It's easy for me to be busy and forget to water my orchid until I notice a brown leaf, or a wilting petal.
Adaptions aren't always easy because they may cause inconvenience, there might not be enough time or not everyone agrees they are needed. Something might work one day but not the next, and the next orchid I get might not thrive under the same conditions, despite me doing exactly the same things, because it's needs are different, just like our children and young people. Realistically my orchid is completely reliant on me and has no control or voice over what changes I make, or if I decide one day to stop noticing.
If something stops thriving, what is it that needs to change? 🤔
