Orchid Care Blog

Tell Us About a NICE Valentine You've Received!

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:41:00 GMT

What is an especially NICE Valentine you have received and what makes it special to you?

First, make sure you're registered for this contest! Then tell us about an especially NICE Valentine your received as a blog comment below. Each week we're giving away FOUR ORCHIDS! TWO orchids to a random registrant and TWO orchids to a random weekly participant. Each winner will have one to keep and one to give away to someone "Nice"!

Hint: Follow Just Add Ice ORCHIDS on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information about this contest including announcements of winners!

Orchid Color Sends a Special Message on Valentine’s Day

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:40:00 GMT

Whether you’re shopping for your sweetheart, mom, daughter or a special friend, Just Add Ice Orchids are a wonderful choice for everyone on your Valentine’s Day gift list. Sensually-curving stems lined with huge blossoms saturated with rich color make these elegant Phalaenopsis orchids a stunning Valentine’s Day gift that will be enjoyed, appreciated and remembered.

Just Add Ice Orchids are available in a wide variety of beautiful colors, each with its own special meaning. When you select a Just Add Ice Orchid for your valentine, use the secret meanings of flower color to send your valentine a special message:

White is the symbol of beauty, innocence and elegance. Choose white orchids for someone dear to your heart.
Pink speaks of happiness, joy and youth’s sweet innocence; the perfect choice for a teenage daughter.
Purple connotes royalty, admiration and respect. Choose purple orchids to honor your mother or grandmother.
Lavender is the color of feminine beauty, a color that defines grace and elegance. Lavender orchids are a beautiful choice for mothers, favorite aunts and sisters.
Yellow is the symbol of friendship. A joyful and happy color, yellow is also the color of new beginnings. Choose yellow orchids for a special friend, your favorite sister or a new love in your life.

Phalaenopsis Orchids Make Memorable Valentine’s Day Gift

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:25:00 GMT

Valentine’s Day will be here faster than Cupid can zing a love-tipped arrow into your valentine’s heart. Stores and malls are filled with special Valentine’s Day displays tempting shoppers with all manner of special treats and Valentine’s Day merchandise. If you can package it in a heart-shaped box, mold it into a heart shape or stamp a heart on it, you’ll find it in someone’s Valentine’s Day display.

With so many gift choices, how do you choose the perfect gift for your valentine?

The perfect Valentine’s Day gift for someone you love isn’t necessarily one that’s covered with hearts or filled with chocolate. The old standbys are passé. Today, a great Valentine’s Day gift should reflect how you feel about your valentine. With their vibrant color, beautiful curving petals and delicately curving stem, Just Add Ice Orchids make a Valentine’s Day statement that is sure to please every valentine. Whether you’re selecting a gift for your sweetheart or your mom or your daughter, Just Add Ice Orchids send the perfect message: I think you’re beautiful, elegant and absolutely delightful!

If you haven’t entered our Just Add Nice FREE Orchid Contest yet, it’s time to stop procrastinating. On Valentine’s Day, we’ll be choosing two grand prize winners to receive a year’s supply of Just Add Ice Orchids – one for every season. Each grand prize winner will also receive a second orchid to give to someone “nice.” You’ll find complete contest details on the Just Add Ice Orchids website. Time is running out! Enter today and you could be one of the lucky winners to receive this very special Valentine’s Day gift from Just Add Ice Orchids.

What is Something Nice You Would Do if Money Wasn't an Object?

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:52:00 GMT

If money were no object and you had the opportunity to do something nice for anyone -- what would it be and why?

First, make sure you're registered for this contest! Then tell us something nice you would do for someone if money were no object as a blog comment below. Each week we're giving away FOUR ORCHIDS! TWO orchids to a random registrant and TWO orchids to a random weekly participant. Each winner will have one to keep and one to give away to someone "Nice"!

Hint: Follow Just Add Ice ORCHIDS on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information about this contest including announcements of winners!

Orchids Inspire Seattle Glass Artist

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:37:00 GMT

Giant Phalaenopsis orchids cling to a stalk of sturdy bamboo. Exotic Pink Lady Slippers emerge from the hollow in a moss-encrusted rock. Delicate Dendrobium orchids curl around a leafy branch. You’re not in the steamy Philippine jungle and, despite the fact that they look like you could pluck them from the jungle floor, these aren’t living orchids. The amazing orchid creations that surround you when you step into Collectanea Botanica - Orchidaceae at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, Ohio are made of glass!

The work of acclaimed Seattle glass artist Debora Moore, these exquisite glass orchids exhibit the same dazzling colors and sensuously curving shapes as the natural flowers after which they are patterned. Moore’s glass orchids are a featured exhibit in the conservatory’s Orchids! Vibrant Victoriana which runs through April 8, 2012.

More than 1,400 live orchids bloom in the Conservatory’s Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse, transforming the indoor space into an elegant outdoor Victorian garden. Sea captains returning from the South Seas and South America introduced orchids to Europe and America in the mid-1800s, sparking a fascination with these unusual flowers that continues today. The popularity of orchid growing and collecting during the Victorian Era created a market for these exotic plants that sent orchid hunters to the far corners of the world in search of new species.

More than 20,000 orchid species have been identified around the world, providing artist Moore with plenty of inspiration for her unique glass creations. With the exception of the frozen plains of Antarctica and the world’s great deserts, orchid exists in nearly every place on the Earth. But you don’t have to travel the world to enjoy the amazing variety of orchids that grace our planet. For the next two months, you can immerse yourself in the orchid world at the Franklin Park Conservatory.

To see pictures of Debora Moore's glass orchids, click here!

photo credit: happy via

Remember to Water Orchids during Dormancy

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:26:00 GMT

It’s easy to remember to water Just Add Ice Orchids when they’re in full bloom. At peak bloom, the curving stem of a Phalaenopsis orchid is lined with huge, colorful blossoms. As soon as you walk into a room, Just Add Ice Orchids draw the eye and bring a smile to your face. Such constant attention makes it hard to forget that your orchid needs a little tender loving care – and 3 ice cubes -- once a week. But when the flowers on your orchid fade and drop off and your plant enters dormancy, all you have left is a pot of droopy green leaves. Without its eye-catching blooms to capture your attention, it can be easy to overlook your Just Add Ice Orchid and forget that it still needs to be watered with 3 ice cubes once a week. If you relocate your orchid to a less conspicuous display space during dormancy, it can be even harder to remember that your orchid still needs a little care even when it’s not in bloom.

Just Add Ice Orchids’ free orchid watering reminders can keep you on track and make sure that your orchid stays healthy all year round. Just Add Ice Orchids offers two helpful orchid watering reminder aids:

Orchid owners can subscribe to our free email reminders from our website. Just choose the day you want to water your Just Add Ice Orchid and we’ll send you an email reminder once a week.
Visit our website each month and download our free desktop calendar wallpaper. Choose your watering day before downloading and that day will be highlighted on the calendar.

Many Just Add Ice Orchid lovers do both, downloading our monthly wallpaper simply to enjoy the exquisite photos of Just Add Ice Orchids.

Name a Song with the Word "NICE" in the Title or Lyrics

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:25:00 GMT

Name a song that you like with the word "NICE" in the title or lyrics.

First, make sure you're registered for this contest! Then tell us a song that you like with the word "NICE" in the title or lyrics as a blog comment below. Each week we're giving away FOUR ORCHIDS! TWO orchids to a random registrant and TWO orchids to a random weekly participant. Each winner will have one to keep and one to give away to someone "Nice"!

Hint: Follow Just Add Ice ORCHIDS on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information about this contest including announcements of winners!

Phalaenopsis Orchids Add Elegance to Candlestick Centerpiece

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:21:00 GMT

We’ve been sharing floral design tips from Cleveland, Ohio wedding and event planner Stephen Tokar. Today, we show you how to create a candlestick centerpiece that is as stunning as it is quick and easy to put together. Just Add Ice Orchids are the key to the centerpiece’s beauty and simple construction. Tokar’s floral table decorations were featured on Cleveland’s WKYC-TV. Click here to watch the video; then follow the instructions below to create your own fabulous floral centerpieces for parties, events or weddings.

Orchid Candlestick Centerpiece

To decorate for a wedding or event, place a single candlestick in the center of each round table or display in groups of 3 on longer tables and buffet or serving tables.

You will need:

1 clear glass pillar-style candlestick per table
1 potted Just Add Ice Orchid for each candlestick
Floral moss
Clear plastic tape, 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide

Directions:

Select clear, glass candlesticks made to hold 3-inch diameter pillar candles. Candlesticks that have a cup-like holder for the candle are preferred as they provide a secure and adequately-supported place to put the orchid. Candlesticks with a tall stem make a particularly attractive display. If grouping several orchids together, consider selecting candlesticks of varying heights. If sturdy enough to take the weight of the orchid without falling over, decorative stemware can be substituted.
Remove the orchid from its clear grower pot. Gently grasp the plant under the leaves and pull gently from the pot. If the orchid sticks, run a blunt knife carefully around the inside edge of the grower pot to loosen the roots, being careful not to cut into the roots. Save the grower and decorative pots so you can replant the orchids after the event.
Gently brush excess potting mix from the roots.
Place the orchid in the candle receptacle.
Add moss to the receptacle to cover the roots.
Secure the orchid and moss to the candle receptacle with at least two strips of clear plastic tape. Place the tape under the orchid’s leaves, crossing it over the roots and moss in an “X” to hold the orchid securely in place. Use additional strips of tape if necessary.

How to Make Stunning Centerpieces Using Phalaenopsis Orchids

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:29:00 GMT

In our previous post, we shared floral design tips from well-known Cleveland, Ohio wedding and event planner Stephen Tokar. As featured on Cleveland’s WKYC-TV, Tokar shared tips for creating stunning floral centerpieces using Just Add Ice Orchids and items purchased at a hardware store. Click here to watch the video; then follow the instructions below to create your own fabulous floral centerpieces for parties, events or weddings. While Tokar used several types of flowers, we have adapted his ideas for use with Just Add Ice Orchids.

Dish of Floating Orchids and Candles

You will need:

1 stem of Just Add Ice Orchids
3 round floating candles, 3 inches in diameter
1 large, shallow clear glass dish, approximately 12 inches in diameter by 3 inches deep
1 can spray paint, any color
1 roll bleed-proof painters’ tape, 1 inch wide
1 small tree branch about 15 inches long
Newspaper

Directions:

Apply painters’ tape around the inside top edge of the glass dish.
Lay the dish on several sheets of newspaper and spray paint the inside of the dish. When the paint is dry, remove the tape. You’ll have a painted dish with a clear top edge.
Choose a tree branch with a V shade and interesting protruding twigs.
Place candles and tree branch on newspaper. Spray paint each object, applying paint in several light coats to prevent paint drips. When dry, flip and paint other side and allow to dry thoroughly.
Cut 1 stem from your Just Add Ice Orchid plant. Look for a stem with at least 3 large blooms or 5 smaller blooms. Use a second stem if necessary.
To assemble the arrangement: Fill the dish with water to the top of the painted area. Lay the orchid stem on top of the water so that the flowers curve along the left side of the dish. You may have to trim the stem to create the desired curve. Trim off any excess stem.
Balance the tree branch on top of the dish with the V over the water.
Float the candles in the middle of the dish in the V of the branch.

Event Planner Chooses Just Add Ice Orchids as Party Centerpiece

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:57:00 GMT

Noted Cleveland, Ohio wedding and event planner Stephen Tokar recommended using Just Add Ice Orchids when you need to quickly pull together decorations for an elegant event. Showcased on a WKYC Cleveland television segment featuring last-minute decorating tips for New Year’s Eve parties, Tokar noted that Just Add Ice Orchids are his first choice for “instant” event décor. The stunning beauty and wide color range of Just Add Ice Orchids allows them to be brought home and immediately placed on the table without additional adornment, creating an instant centerpiece that will win you rave reviews from your guests.

Tokar said he uses floral centerpieces at events to draw attention to the table and the food. When planning weddings, Tokar often uses flowers and a single, strong color to create a cohesive theme. Glossy black vases are used to create a rich, handsome anchor for the thematic color with a touch of gold or silver adding a bit of sparkle to the finished creation. To ensure perfect color matching, Tokar uses spray paint to color candles, decorative branches, floral containers and glass bowls.

To emphasize how easy it is to create event centerpieces that are quick, easy, affordable and elegant, Tokar combined a little creativity with a few found objects and items purchased during a single trip to a local hardware store, including the Just Add Ice Orchids featured in his floral creations. He said it took him about an hour to create the three stunning floral centerpieces demonstrated during the program, any of which could easily be used to dress up a wedding or special event. Click here to watch the video clip.

Stay tuned! We’ll provide you with how-to instructions next time.

Describe a N-I-C-E Person in Your Life!

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:00:00 GMT

Using the letters from the word “N-I-C-E” as an acronym, describe a nice person in your life in four words! (example: N-nurturing, I-innovative, C-creative, E-enthusiatic)

First, make sure you're registered for this contest! Then tell us how you would describe a nice person in your life in four words as a blog comment below. Each week we're giving away FOUR ORCHIDS! TWO orchids to a random registrant and TWO orchids to a random weekly participant. Each winner will have one to keep and one to give away to someone "Nice"!

Hint: Follow Just Add Ice ORCHIDS on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information about this contest including announcements of winners!

How to Trigger Reblooming of Your Phalaenopsis Orchid

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:58:00 GMT

When your Just Add Ice Orchid stops blooming and enters dormancy, it is not dead. You can encourage your orchid to bloom again with just a little TLC. Phalaenopsis orchids rebloom on old spikes with a new stalk emerging from a triangular node along the stalk. To trigger the growth of a new stalk and reblooming, your Just Add Ice Orchid will need a little more attention than these easy-care orchids usually require. The thrill when your Just Add Ice Orchid blooms for a second time, however, makes the small investment in time and effort required to trigger orchid reblooming well worth the effort.

Phalaenopsis orchids expend a lot of energy to create the large, beautiful flowers for which they are prized. Under normal circumstances, your Just Add Ice Orchid will enter a resting period called dormancy once it has finished blooming. Dormancy allows the plant time to rest and replace the nutrients expended during blooming. Nutrients and water are stored in the plant’s leaves until they are needed for growth and blooming. Dormancy typically lasts from 6 to 9 months and your orchid may rebloom on its own as orchids do in nature. However, most display orchids need a little help activating the natural rhythm that leads to blooming.

To trigger orchid reblooming, follow these steps:

When your orchid stops blooming, begin fertilizing it every other week with a balanced houseplant fertilizer (20-20-20) mixed at half strength. Do not water your Just Add Ice Orchid with 3 ice cubes on the weeks you fertilize your plant.
Move your orchid to a cooler environment where nighttime temperatures are between 55 and 65 degree F. until a new flower spike emerges.
Return your plant to its usual location and continue watering with 3 ice cubes once a week.

Check our website and orchid care videos for more detailed instructions on orchid reblooming.

Photo credit: violet monde

Don’t Throw Out Your Orchid! It’s Not Dead!

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:18:00 GMT

When Just Add Ice Orchids stop blooming and enter a dormant state, many new Phalaenopsis orchid owners make the mistake of thinking their orchid has died and throw the plant away. Don’t! Your orchid is not dead! With a little rest and some tender loving care, your Just Add Ice Orchid will bloom again and again, providing you with years of pleasure.

Unlike many common houseplants that remain green and healthy-looking year round, orchids are more like the perennial flowers and bulbs in your outdoor garden. Just like other flowering plants, orchids must rest and replenish their energy between bloom periods. Producing flowers consumes tremendous energy, depleting the resources the plant uses to produce healthy new growth. The large, showy flowers your Just Add Ice Orchid produces and maintains week after week when your orchid is in full bloom eventually drain the plant of energy. When this occurs, the flowers will fade and fall off the stem. (Do not confuse this natural blossom drop with traumatic bud blast or flower blast which causes orchids to lose their buds or flowers suddenly and prematurely.)

The stem of your Just Add Ice orchid will become dry and shriveled. The plant’s leaves will also lose their bright luster and deep-green color and, while remaining green, will take on a dull and faded appearance. The plant’s leaves will also lose their perkiness and become limp and flat. All of this is normal. Your Just Add Ice Orchid is not dead! The plant is simply going through a natural period in its life cycle called dormancy. This dormant stage allows your Just Add Ice Orchid to rest and renew its energy before blooming again into a profusion of gorgeous new blossoms.

What is the Nicest Compliment You’ve Received?

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:41:00 GMT

What is the NICEst compliment you’ve received? Here’s your chance to brag!

First, make sure you're registered for this contest! Then tell us about the NICEst compliment you've received as a blog comment below. Each week we're giving away FOUR ORCHIDS! TWO orchids to a random registrant and TWO orchids to a random weekly participant. Each winner will have one to keep and one to give away to someone "Nice"!

Hint: Follow Just Add Ice ORCHIDS on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information about this contest including announcements of winners!

Unusual Phalaenopsis Orchids Created by Hybridization

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:44:00 GMT

When you select a Just Add Ice Orchid for yourself or to give as a gift, have you ever wondered how a single variety of flower could be purchased in such an amazing range of beautiful colors? Do these unique plants sport such remarkable stripes and surprising spots in nature? Nature exhibits almost limitless diversity. In their native environments, Phalaenopsis orchids, for example, can be found in every color of the rainbow except true blue. Man’s imagination, however, often extends beyond what Mother Nature creates; and he must give nature a little nudge to bring his ideas to fruition. Many of the more unusual colors and extraordinary markings available on Just Add Ice Orchids today have been achieved through years of hybridization.

Hybridization is the process used by horticulturalists to create new varieties of plants, including Phalaenopsis orchids. By painstakingly cross-pollinating Phalaenopsis orchids that exhibit different desirable characteristics, horticulturalists are able, over time, to change the genetic makeup of an individual plant and produce a new orchid variety that exhibits the most desirable characteristics of both parent plants. In plant cultivation for both decorative and agricultural use, hybridization can be used to manipulate nearly every aspect of a plant’s characteristics and growth, including color, markings, size, scent, hardiness, nutrient level and yield.

Of course, cross-pollination also occurs in nature which accounts for the incredible 21,000 and 26,000 naturally-occurring orchid species native to our planet. Since the popularization of orchid cultivation in the 1800s, horticulturalists have used cross-pollination to add to nature’s bounty by creating more than 100,000 new orchid hybrids. The end result is an outstanding selection of Just Add Ice Orchids of nearly every imaginable color.

Photo by: anonymous to you

Low Winter Humidity Can Harm Just Add Ice Orchids

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:29:00 GMT

Phalaenopsis orchids are epiphytic plants, meaning that they grow on and are supported by another plant. In their natural tropical environment, these beautiful orchids attach themselves to the trunks and limbs of tall trees and are typically found growing high above the jungle floor. Unlike parasitic plant species, Phalaenopsis orchids do not rely on their host trees for nourishment. These orchids use their towering hosts to gain access to the humid but well-circulated air that floats above the densely-vegetated jungle floor, providing the ideal growing environment for these exquisite flowers.

Just Add Ice orchids thrive in humidity levels of between 55% and 75%. Unfortunately, naturally low winter humidity can frequently drop below these optimal levels, causing the emerging flowers or leaves of Just Add Ice Orchids to have a stunted or deformed appearance. Phalaenopsis orchids obtain the majority of their moisture requirements not from direct watering but from the moisture (i.e., humidity) in the air.

When humidity levels are insufficient to promote healthy orchid growth, Just Add Ice Orchid owners should use one of the following methods to raise winter humidity levels:

During the day, run a humidifier in the same room in which you display your Just Add Ice Orchids. Limit humidifier use to daylight hours to allow excess moisture that may collect on orchid flowers or leaves to evaporate. Exposing Phalaenopsis orchids to excess moisture overnight can promote orchid diseases and the growth of fungus.
If you have multiple orchids, create a more humid microclimate by grouping all of the plants together in a small space.
Place orchid pots on shallow pebble-filled trays of water. The pebbles will keep orchid roots from coming into direct contact with the water.
Run a small fan on low to keep humid air circulating.

For more tips on combating dry winter humidity, watch our orchid care video on Caring for Your Phalaenopsis Orchid in a Dry Environment.

Photo by: GollyGForce

Name a Nice Person who Inspired You Growing Up!

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:22:00 GMT

Tell us about a NICE person who inspired you during your childhood.

First, make sure you're registered for this contest! Then tell us about a NICE person who inspired you during your childhood as a blog comment below. Each week we're giving away FOUR ORCHIDS! TWO orchids to a random registrant and TWO orchids to a random weekly participant. Each winner will have one to keep and one to give away to someone "Nice"!

Hint: Follow Just Add Ice ORCHIDS on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information about this contest including announcements of winners!

What Causes Orchids to Lose Their Buds?

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:05:00 GMT

One of the joys of owning Just Add Ice Orchids is their long blooming period. Phalaenopsis orchids are a particularly hardy member of the orchid family and, with proper care, often bloom for as long as 3 months! But, as with all living plants, Phalaenopsis orchids are susceptible to certain environmental factors that can cause the orchid plant to lose its buds, sometimes within days of arriving in your home.

If your orchid is suffering from bud blast, the premature dropping of its buds, the flower’s buds may begin to soften or the buds may become dry and brittle. In either case, the buds will begin to fall off the orchid stalk before opening into flowers. (Similar softening or drying can also occur to open orchid blooms, causing them to drop prematurely. When open blooms are affected, the condition is called bloom blast.)

Bloom and bud blast are generally caused by a sudden change in the orchid’s environment that traumatizes the plant’s systems. Dropping its buds or flowers signals the orchid’s reaction to environmental shock and is the plant’s way of protecting itself. By shedding its buds, the orchid can divert more energy to maintaining its vital systems.

Knowing the common causes of bud blast can help you protect your Just Add Ice Orchid and keep it healthy:

Exposure to drafts and other sudden temperature changes are the primary cause of bud blast.
Because Just Add Ice Orchids obtain much of their moisture from the air, changes in humidity can also trigger bug loss.
The ethylene gas emitted by ripening fruit (including oranges, apples, bananas, etc.) can cause bud blast in orchids that are displayed in the same area. If you keep a fruit bowl on your kitchen counter or table, do not display your orchid nearby.
Gas stovetops or burning candles, incense and oil are other sources of odorless, colorless ethylene gas.

Protect Just Add Ice Orchids from Winter Drafts

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:50:00 GMT

We’re entering the coldest months of winter when even hardy Just Add Ice Orchids will require a little extra tender loving care. Sudden temperature drops and cold winter drafts take a toll on tropical orchid varieties, including Phalaenopsis orchids. Every time you open your front door, the blast of cold air that enters your home can drop the ambient room temperature by several degrees F. Winter winds can send cold drafts whistling down the chimney, scooting under the threshold and seeping through poorly-sealed window frames. You can put on a sweater when the house gets chilly, but your Just Add Ice Orchid has to sit there and tough it out.

Orchids are temperature sensitive. Just Add Ice Orchids tolerate a fairly wide range of temperatures, thriving in temperatures between 55 degrees and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. But exposure to cold drafts and sudden drops in temperature can damage these tropical flowers and may cause Just Add Ice Orchids to lose their flowers.

When blasts of cold winter air shock Phalaenopsis orchids and cause these beautiful plants to drop their buds, the condition is called, appropriately enough, “bud blast.” Instead of opening into the characteristically large, butterfly-shaped flowers that have made Phalaenopsis orchids America’s favorite orchid species, the flower buds on a Just Add Ice Orchids plant that is suffering from bud blast stop growing and begin to shrivel, turning brown and papery on the edges and finally falling off the orchid stalk without ever opening. Fortunately, bud blast can be easily prevented by keeping your Just Add Ice Orchid out of drafts and away from chilly entry areas. During the winter, locate your Just Add Ice Orchid to a room where a constant temperature within the plant’s 55 to75-degree comfort zone can be easily maintained and your orchid will continue to thrive.

Photo by: Galileo5

How Would You Define NICE in Only One Word?

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:43:00 GMT

How would YOU define NICE in only one word?

First, make sure you're registered for this contest! Then tell us how you define NICE in one word as a blog comment below. Each week we're giving away FOUR ORCHIDS! TWO orchids to a random registrant and TWO orchids to a random weekly participant. Each winner will have one to keep and one to give away to someone "Nice"!

Hint: Follow Just Add Ice ORCHIDS on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information about this contest including announcements of winners!

Just Add "Nice" Makes Winning Orchids Simple!

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:34:00 GMT

Every Friday Just Add Ice Orchids is giving away a total of FOUR FREE Phalaenopsis orchids to TWO lucky winners! We are continuing this "Nice" orchid give-away all the way through Valentine's Day, so make sure you enter this drawing because there are plenty of orchids to be won!

There are 2 simple ways to win!

Weekly Random Registrant Drawing- Sign-up for our weekly random drawing to win 2 FREE Just Add Ice Orchids – that’s one for you and one to share with someone “Nice.” It’s just that simple!

Participate in the "Share Your Story" on our Blog - To increase your chances of winning, every week Just Add Ice Orchids will post a new “nice” topic on our Orchid Blog. Share your stories or thoughts with us for your chance to be our random participant winner of 2 FREE Just Add Ice Orchids!

Here are some nice stories we’ve heard on this week’s topic: If you win this contest, who is the nice (lucky) person who will receive the 2nd orchid? How did you choose them?

"My friend Faith, who is so dear to my heart. She gives so selflessly for her family, her parents, her sister and her friends. She constantly gives of her time and resources even if it means that she does without. Yet she receives so little appreciation. This is how I could let her know that someone does notice and to let her know that she is greatly appreciated."
– Lisa

"I would give the orchid to my daughter, Michele. Michele is taking care of her 95 year old grandmother who has dementia. Michele moved from Phoenix, AZ to Baltimore, MD to do this on Sept. 24th. She would like to learn how to grow them because I have gotten one and she liked it. I feel she deserves to have some beauty in her life right now! I love my daughter very much!"
– Lynda F.

"I have a 78-year old neighbor that has been my "best new friend" since I moved to Western PA - she is always generous with canned goods she has made, fresh cookies & pies and also fresh garden vegetables and free range eggs. She does not have the money to buy an orchid and I would love to teach her and me how to grow them and have them rebloom."
– Dave T.

Submit your response to this week’s topic!

Contest is open to all legal U.S. residents, who are at least 18 years of age.

Long-lasting Phalaenopsis Orchids Add Beauty to Weddings

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:24:00 GMT

The fact that orchids manage to be both sturdy and beautiful make them an ideal choice for use in weddings. These flowers symbolize what hopes for a marriage: that it will last and remain strong with a joy that is evident and be something that those who surround it will be happy to see.

Using orchids in a bridal bouquet can make for a pleasing and eye-catching arrangement. As flowers go, orchids last a long time, so you do not have to worry about using orchids in the bouquets for the bride or for her attendants to carry. Phalaenopsis orchids are especially beautiful for wedding bouquets because each stem has several blossoms. These multiple blossoms look wonderful because they cascade without being forced and make a delightful arrangement that will add to the bride's look.

This unique flower manages to be both familiar and a little coy at the same time since people have seen them but do not see them on a regular basis. While they are easier to obtain, orchids have kept some of that early mystique and are looked at as a luxury item, so having a bouquet of orchids adds a touch or elegance to the overall look of the wedding party.

Orchids come many lovely shades and sometimes a bride will carry a white bouquet and use other shades as decoration. A bride can also use an orchid to adorn her hair and you can also let phalaenopsis orchids star in dramatic table displays during the wedding reception.

Photo credit: Irina Patrascu

Who is the Nice Person You Will Choose for the Second Orchid?

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:55:00 GMT

If you win this contest, who is the nice (lucky) person who will receive the 2nd orchid? How did you choose them?

First, make sure you're registered for this contest! Then tell us about the nice person you would give an orchid to as a blog comment below. Each week we're giving away FOUR ORCHIDS! TWO orchids to a random registrant and TWO orchids to a random weekly participant. Each winner will have one to keep and one to give away to someone "Nice"!

Hint: Follow Just Add Ice ORCHIDS on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information about this contest including announcements of winners!

How to Make a Decorative Planter with Just Add Ice Orchids

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:22:00 GMT

Decorative Planter Project

Total project time: 25 minutes

You will need:

2 Just Add Ice Orchids
1 wicker basket that is as deep as an orchid pot and large enough to hold 2 pots
1 heavy-duty black trash bag
1 block dry floral foam
2-ounce bag of floral moss
Scissors
Knife

Directions:

Holding both the orchid’s stem and stake, slowly pull each plant’s grower pot out of its exterior decorative pot. Set orchids aside.
To create a waterproof liner for your orchid planter, unfold the black plastic trash bag and lay it out flat.
Measure about one foot from the bottom of the bag, adjusting as necessary to accommodate the size of the basket. Cut off the bottom of the bag and dispose of the top.
Open the bottom of the bag and place it inside the basket, arranging it to cover the bottom and sides of the basket to create a waterproof liner.
Place both orchids in their grower pots into the basket and position them as you like.
Using the knife, cut pieces of dry floral foam to the appropriate sizes and shapes necessary to fill in any gaps between the orchid pots and the walls of the basket. The foam will keep the pots in place and reduce the amount of floral moss needed.
Cover the top of the floral foam with floral moss, pushing the plastic liner down out of sight as you fill around the edge of the basket. To make it easy to water your orchids, do not cover the tops of the grower pots with moss.

Note: This method can be used to turn any container into a decorative planter for your Just Add Ice Orchids.

See the video demonstration below for this simple project!

Tell Us About a Random Act of "Nice"-ness!

Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:10:00 GMT

Just Add “Nice” is back! The winter holiday season is a time of giving, sharing and being thankful and Just Add Ice Orchids is rewarding our loyal fans by giving away free orchids every week!

We are so excited about giving away orchids this week, we are posting our first “nice” topic today:

Name a “random act of NICE-ness” that you’ve given or received.

First, make sure you're registered for this contest! That gives you one opportunity to win. Then if you want another chance to win - tell us about a “random act of NICE-ness” as a blog comment below. Each week we're giving away FOUR ORCHIDS! TWO orchids to a random registrant and TWO orchids to a random weekly participant. Each winner will have one to keep and one to give away to someone "Nice"!

Hint: Follow Just Add Ice ORCHIDS on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information about this contest including announcements of winners!