Chinese Ground Orchid

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Every time I think my garden is finished presenting me with its treasures, it seems to fling up another one.

This is a Chinese Ground Orchid (Bletilla striata). Also called the Hyacinth Orchid, or the Hardy Chinese Ground Orchid.

I dubbed it the “not-so-hardy-orchid” a few years ago.

I planted it several years ago and it struggles. The first year it did well, then we had a hard winter and it didn’t come back well the next spring. Last year it improved, and I am happy to see it put out some flowers; it’s been a little choked out by two hostas, growing on either side of it. I should have moved it in the spring before the hostas came up fully, but I had no idea that the hostas would do as well, nor that they would get so massive this year.

They’ve doubled in size since last year.

So, when the hostas begin to die back in the fall, I will rescue the orchid and find it a new home elsewhere, where it can put on a better show and have some elbow room. Maybe I should put it into a pot so I don’t lose it in the jungle and so it won’t be so hammered the next time we have a hard winter.

When I look back through my photos so far this spring, I’m actually a little amazed by what’s in there. I usually take a few shots of flowers throughout the year, but having been living in the yard this particular year, instead of being out and about as usual, has meant that much of my daily camera focus has ended up on something in the garden.

I’m not a flower gardener, though the photos in my stream this spring would seem to dispute that fact. I buy plants largely for foliage, if the flowers are nice, it’s a bonus. I’ve been known to cut flowers off because I don’t like them and (to me) they detract from interesting leaf shape, texture, and shade.

But I do appreciate this one when it puts out some blooms. I also appreciate that I live somewhere that I can grow orchids outside… 🙂