An orchid haul unboxing is filled with excitement, novelty, an element of surprise as well as a whole lot of suspense and delight. So read on or watch my YouTube video to know details of my latest unboxing.

I have off lately been on a self-pampering spree. I reorganised my small grow space to accommodate my last haul and realised that I could add just a couple more. You know how good we get at accommodating more:) That’s the orchid hobby for you. Once bitten, you are forever smitten.

At the outset, let me clarify that this is not a sponsored post. I heard from a friend that the Tree of Life Orchid Nursery at Kerala sells great orchids and so I decided to try them out.

I checked them out online. I must say, I was pretty impressed by the kind of orchids they had on sale. I ended up buying six and had to suppress myself from ordering more. I am eager to see what they have sent me.

At the outset, I would like to thank you guys for the overwhelming support that you have given my blog and YouTube channel. It means a lot to me. It gives me inspiration to put across better content with each post. Thank you once again for being here and putting the wind beneath my wings.

If you missed out on my spring haul unboxing post, you can check it out here.

After my last unboxing video, I was wondering why an unboxing elicits so much excitement not only in me, but also in anyone reading the post or watching an unboxing video. The way I see it, a product is no longer just a product for a buyer, or in this case your prized orchids are not just items you purchased. It’s the joy they bring that makes them special. So unboxings are all about the experience they provide.

We all look forward to such experiences. Whether it’s the type of orchids on sale, the quality and health of the orchids or even whether they are ready to bloom, or come with blooms.

Another thing I would like to bring up is the importance of good packaging. I can’t stress enough on this subject. Orchid sellers need to ensure your orchids arrive in good condition. After all, you don’t want a damaged orchid that will struggle and finally give up or suffer from setback which will take years to recover and bloom.

We want our orchids to be healthy and in perfect condition when they arrive. Now here is what is important. Since you are paying a premium price for orchids, and shipping charges, it becomes the responsibility of the vendor to ensure that the orchids reach you in good condition. As a hobbyist, who spends on this wonderful hobby, you need to get your money’s worth – What I mean by this is that you should receive healthy orchids in a well-packed condition.

I have had some pretty bad experiences and lost orchids as they could not revive from the stress they underwent in transit. So the next time you place an order, remember to add a note to the vendor insisting on healthy orchids and good packaging. If you receive damaged or poor quality orchids, you must immediately send pictures of the damaged/diseased orchids and speak to the vendor about a possible refund or replacement, especially in the case of the orchid being damaged beyond repair and does not survive.

However, not all experiences are bad. There are a lot of conscientious sellers, who take pride in providing the best to their customers. They are in the business to stay and grow. It’s always better to buy from such sellers as they maintain good standards. As discerning customers, we need to raise the bar on what is acceptable and what is not.

That said, here is how my unboxing experience turned out to be.

The packaging looked good and said a lot about the care the seller had taken to ensure the orchids arrived in good shape.

I have also made a YouTube video on this haul. If you prefer watching the video over reading the post, you can check out the same here:

Here’s the description of the orchids:

1. Phalaenopsis Sesame – This is a Phalaenopsis hybrid. It came with beautiful blooms. The blooms looked a little stressed, but pretty nonetheless. There were a few buds too. So I had more blooms to look forward to. It is named so because of its speckled pattern. I like spotted Phalaenopsis. I don’t have any in my collection. This one, I particularly liked, as it opens out as a deep red freckled pattern on a creamish backdrop. As the flower gets older, the cream background gradually fades to a pure white and the freckles take on a deep magenta colour. The variation makes it very interesting. It’s like getting two orchids for the price of one.
2. Cattleya (Iwanagara) Appleblossom Hihimanu – This is a healthy Cattleya. It had plump and shiny pseudobulbs. They were bursting with good health. And they also had developing sheaths. I am glad I got a matured ready-to-bloom plant. The blooms of this variety are cream coloured with a deep yellow in the centre. Flowers are big in size and bloom in twos or threes from each spike. This one had been on my wish list for a very long time. So I am excited and eager to see it bloom.
3. Epicyclia Diurna BS – This is an Encyclia hybrid. It looked very healthy. It had bloomed before and also had sheaths. I had my reservations about its ID as it looked so much like the Serena O’Neil. The nursery got back with a confirmation that this is the Encyclia diurna, but I still think that it is a case of mistaken identity. This could be the Epicyclia Mabel Kanda, which is a parent of the Serena O’Neil. Anyway, the blooms are an attractive combination of pastel green petals and sepals with a pleasantly contrasting pink lip. The bloom display will be amazing and I am eagerly waiting for it to do its thing and shower me with lots of blooms.
4. Cattleya Battalinii X Cattleytonia Maui Maid White BS – This is a hybrid Cattleya again. The plant was compact in size compared to other Cattleyas. It blooms multiple times in a year, which made it a real winner. The blooms are white with a hint of pale green in the sepals. Just my favourite type. Size of the blooms is 6-10 cm and they arise in clusters. As with Cattleyas, this one is fragrant too, which is something else I look forward to in orchids. I remember having a similar no-id orchid when I just began growing orchids. After a repot, I guess I overwatered it and it slowly went down-hill. So I am glad I am glad I got a similar or, perhaps the same one. It would be wonderful to bloom this one successfully. You know, you can never forget the ones you lose. You always want them back in your collection.
5. Cattleya violacea Variety Alba – This is a small to medium sized cattleya. It requires 60-70% humidity, which explains why it was potted in sphagnum moss. The blooms are white, very beautiful, and very fragrant. I always gravitate towards orchids with white blooms and have several in my collection.This may take a year or two to bloom. It seems like a long wait, but totally worth it.
6. Ascocentrum miniatum BS – This is a compact vandaceous orchid. I prefer buying small sized orchids as I can fit more into my small grow space. The foliage is dark green and it has some basal Keikis, which will grow up to form a bushy plant. The blooms are an attractive bright orange in colour, beautifully offset against the dark green foliage. The blooms are tiny, but the numbers in each spike make up for the lack in size. You also get multiple spikes, which makes it a lovely and vibrant addition to your collection.

This was indeed exciting. I am more than pleased with my purchases. I recommend Tree of Life as one of the top nurseries in India. My first experience with them has been really good and I will continue buying from them. You can check out the vendor here.

That said, I would also like to request you to buy cultivated orchids from nurseries and leave the naturally growing orchid species to thrive in their natural environment. These orchids are becoming extinct due to collection and selling by locals. They are rapidly disappearing from their natural habitat. We need to conserve the biodiversity so that our future generations can enjoy them too. So the next time you spot wild orchids, let them be. Please don’t bring them home with you. Also, please don’t purchase such orchids sourced from the forests. I urge you to support orchid nurseries that sell cultivated species.

On this note, I thank you for being here. Please subscribe to the blog for regular updates on orchid care.

Until my next, happy growing!