Here's What's Blooming in the Office...

As gorgeous as they are, many orchids have no scent at all – but the Oncidium “Twinkle” is an in-your-face exception. Some people describe its aroma as vanilla, or cotton candy. It is definitely sweet, and so pronounced that a single plant can perfume my office for a few weeks. What a treat, particularly this time of year.

My Onc. Twinkle is known as a “White Shower,” a nod to its cascade of tiny white flowers. There are also pink and red varieties available. On the stem I photographed here, I counted more than 60 individual blossoms, each littler than my smallest fingernail. Best of all, there are four more stems of buds yet to open on this plant!

One of the best-known Oncidium hybrids is called “Sharry Baby” and when it blooms, it smells exactly like chocolate.

These orchids aren’t considered difficult to grow, but you can’t blast them on a sunny windowsill – they prefer only indirect light. In the wild, they grow on trees, well-shaded and with their roots exposed so they can soak up the water and nutrients they need to survive.

I think I got this orchid at the 36th St. Garden Center in Boise, when it was a single pseudobulb in a very small pot with one stem of delicate flowers. So, it’s done well and never ceases to delight me when it blooms.