Saturday, March 21, 2009

Philippines and its Pink Pretties!

Hosted by "How Sweet the Sound"

We've reached another Saturday and that means, Pink Saturday! It's a meme dedicated to all things Pink! Thank you lots to Beverly for graciously hosting another one that will prove to be another feast for the eyes!

Today, I'd like to share with you some of the glorious flowers of my native land, the Philippines. Mainly orchids! I grew up seeing them everywhere and yet many still cultivate them like they are gold; can you really blame them? Look at a few and tell me that they are not worth every effort given them.

Cattleya Orchid

This is such a prized orchid for its beauty (and the spots that attract all kinds of polinators), in the Philippines that we even had a notebook brand named after it that college students and professionals use. My own late father only used Cattleya Notebooks for whatever he had to write down and never had a second thought about the price whenever he needed to get one. In my childhood home in Novaliches, Quezon City, a suburb of Metro Manila, we had a stump that my father erected in front of our house then he carefully placed three different cattleya orchid saplings. I remember waiting over a year before it bloomed since it normally grew in dense forests and sheltered humid areas and these saplings were exposed. I thought they've died but one day, I saw what looked like another stem and it grew buds rather quickly. The buds took their sweet time opening, but when they finally did, it was just heaven! I wish I could grow orchids, this variety mainly, but I'm still waiting for my thumbs to be green enough to try (lol)!


Laelia Orchid

This one looks like a cousin to the cattleya variety. Isn't it just gorgeous in pink?


Medinilla magnifica

I never knew this variety grew in the Philippines, but I am honored to know that it does... It is so beautiful in all its pink glory!


Vanda Sanderiana

This has been dubbed the queen of orchids in the Philippines.

Waling-Waling" (Vanda Sanderiana -Family Orchidaceae) This epiphyte grows on branches of tall dipterocarp trees. It is 25-100cm tall with long narrow leaves. The sepals are greenish with purple streaks and irregular spots. Though similar to the petals, the sepals are smaller, rose purple in color and have purple spots on the lower margins near the base. Endemic to the Philippines, in particular to Mindanao Island where it is found in North and South Cotobato, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur. Shown is a wild vanda grown at the Zamboanga del Norte Tissue Culture Laboratory. Vanda Sanderiana is on endangered list.(http://www.dipologcity.com/Orchids.htm)

Philippines is a great tropical getaway; there are so many flowers that many I've seen here being peddled as garden variety grow there as weeds that children play with as pretend food!

TABLESCAPING IDEA: ("Brain loves that nature is a sure bet for inspiration!) If you are an avid gardener, choose one particular flower you love growing, and use it as a centerpiece. To spread the beauty and coordinate your table, take a picture and copy it several times on a much smaller scale. Glue each image onto a small tile and coat it well like in decoupage. On the underside, glue some metal rings and you have instant napkin rings that perfectly go with your centerpiece! Use dishes that compliment your favorite flowers and invite friends over for a nice tea time or a light lunch; you can pass the time talking about your chosen theme and maybe help them get started with a small pot for each to take home. I'll be doing this soon with my petunias- the only flowers I'm good at growing! LOL

33 comments:

  1. Yup. gorgeous indeed. We had neighbors who have plenty of variations of orchids. Everyday I see them caring for these flowers and spraying them I don't know what :-) That is why I am so afraid to even try and grow one for my own. Orchids are expensive and what a shame it would be if things won't work out :-( But Mary's (Contrary mary) been encouraging me :-)

    Happy Pink Saturday!

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  2. When you do and it works, let me know! :-)

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  3. Hi Chandy! I love orchids! I have been trying to grow some here in pots but I still cannot figure out what makes them grow or die. I have several, treat them all the same, some make it and some do not and do not understand what kills the ones who die. I have some with a lot of buds now and I can't wait to see them open. Thanks for the little education here.......Christine

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  4. Happy PS Chandy,

    Your post today is stunning. I love Orchids and like you wish I had thumbs of green to be able to grow such pretties. I can't pick a favorite because I love them all.

    Have a happy day

    Kris

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  5. WOW..those are gorgeous.. thanks for sharing. HPS!

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  6. So pretty...Happy Pink Saturday!

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  7. Orchids are just so gorgeous. I have to be satisfied with the silk ones, but I so admire all the wonderful and exotic flowers. Hugs, Marty

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  8. I just ♥ Pink Saturday. I am able to visit some gorgeous blogs, see loads of pink-a-licious goodies and have a wonderful morning to start the weekend. Thanks!

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  9. Beautiful! WHat an informative post. The Philippines must be a gorgeous place with blossoms like that around!

    Happy Pink Saturday!

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  10. *´¨)
    ¸.*´¸.**´¨) ¸.**´¨)
    (¸.*´ (¸.*´* HAPPY PINK SATURDAY *

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  11. I could stay and look at those gorgeous flowers for hours, very beautiful you lucky girl, Happy Pink Saturday, Char

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  12. Ladies, thank you so much!!! Again! I can look at these pretties,too!

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  13. Happy Pink Saturday and have a great first weekend of Spring ~ Susan

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  14. Those are all beautiful! Thanks for stopping by my blog yesterday!

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  15. Susan and Anne: Thank you! Happy Pink Saturday to you both!

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  16. Thanks for showing those beautiful orchids. Happy Pink Saturday.

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  17. Sal: Welcome and thanks for visiting!

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  18. What wonderful orchids! I have one, that I just bought, but to see them everywhere in the Philipines must be heaven! Happy Pink Saturday!

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  19. I loved the orhids. Thank you for sharing those with us.

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  20. Claudia, yes, it's very nice to be around them in full bloom!

    Barbara: Thank you and you are welcome.

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  21. the orchids are beautiful! happy pink saturday!!

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  22. I have a box ful of Chinese ground orchids that I've nursed all winter and they are sprouting! My goodness, reportly bloom for three months! Happy PS!

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  23. Sue, thank you!

    Dawn: Show some pictures in your blog, I'd love to see them!

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  24. Hi Chandy! Thanks for the visits and I am glad you are enjoying my blog. Yipee! I would love for you to join my Sightseeing Saturdays! I have offerred to host it when I first started with it but no one has taken me on the offer. You are the first one and hopefully we can make it bigger. I don't have a Mr. Linky and I have not really tried to learn how to download it yet so for now, you can just leave me a comment by Friday night if you want to participate and I will include your link on my blog. Thanks!..Christie

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  25. Christine: I will see you on Friday night!

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  26. Love the flowers!! That napkin ring idea is so great!

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  27. Hi Chandy, I am so glad I came over to visit today. Your orchids you shared are amazing and so pretty in pinks. I also enjoyed the story about your dad getting his orchids to bloom. So worth waiting for. Your info about each orchid was so interesting. I have never had luck growing them. I live in cold winter weather so there you are.

    Have a great day.

    Hugs...Jeanne

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  28. Beautiful Pink Flowers. Happy Pink Saturday and have a wonderful new week.
    Patricia
    http://theunfinishedflower.typepad.com/coquettishfleur/

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  29. Thank you ladies! It was great sharing with all of you!

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  30. They are exquisite. I spent most of my life in South Florida, and you see a lot of orchids growing there, too.

    Happy Pink Saturday.

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  31. What gorgeous orchids!

    Happy Pink Saturday a little late!

    Stephanie
    Angelic Accents

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  32. Lovely pink pics!
    Happy Belated Pink Saturday!

    ~Liz

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  33. What a amazing photos of different kinds of orchids. i really like the Cattleya Orchid. it seems cool and very refreshing. i hope i can see it in personally. i want to plant of that orchids, i wonder if where can i find that.i hope you will answer my request? looking for your next post.

    -khatie-

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