migration

Twice a year (or more), my windowsill orchids undergo migration. In the spring, when the sun angle shifts, they go to the brighter window at the rear of the house. In the fall, they move to the front window, as the sun shifts southward and lower. Sometimes the rear window is too bright in the summer, and the leaves burn, so sometimes the plants move to other parts of the house during the hottest part of the year. But it's that time again, when the plants move to the brighter front windows, which face south, and soon the leaves on the tree outside the window will fall, increasing the light even more, to take advantage of the less intense winter sun.

This begins the season of indoor gardening, as temperatures drop outdoors, and the plants go into their winter sleep patterns. This is also when many of my orchids begin to wake up. It isn't that all orchids grow in the winter. They are tropical plants after all, and can grow at any time of the year. But even the tropics have seasons. I have simply chosen those orchids that tend to grow and bloom in the winter. There are plenty of orchids that bloom in the summer, and some of mine do, especially the ones that just continually grow and bloom without regard to the season. But why would I want everything to bloom at the same time? It would be like planning a garden only for the spring, with few fireworks in summer or fall. I wouldn't want a garden full of Oriental Poppies, for 1 week of gloriousness, and the rest of the year in the doldrums. So I grow orchids in the winter. With these, I can almost look forward to winter.