Springtime is officially here, and with the warm weather comes sprouting flowers, especially pretty orchids. April 16 is National Orchid Day, which was originally created by a couple in memory of their child Orchid Faith. In celebration of this day, here are a few fun activities you can do with your friends, family or even just try out by yourself.
1. Throw a socially distanced orchid-themed event or do some DIY crafts that incorporate flowers. Some ideas for this could be:
- Make and drape flower garlands over chairs and doorways
- Get out a blank tablecloth and add floral patterns to it with a flower-shaped cookie cutter dipped in paint or a floral rubber stamp
- Paint floral pots or watering cans
- Make floral headbands or leis by stringing flower petals together
- Dress a buffet table with a green tablecloth, line the borders with small picket fencing and place flowers among it to look like a little garden
2. Make a cup of tasty floral tea with flowers right from your own garden. Some of my favorite flower-infused teas include:
- Lavender: This is a common flower, most often used for making essential oils, but a cup of this dried flower has plenty of benefits too. A ½ teaspoon of dried lavender flower is plenty strong and mixing it with honey produces a sweet flavor.
- Rose: This beautiful flower is not only pleasing to the eye on the outside but smells and tastes exquisite. In a small saucepan on medium heat, simmer a teaspoon of rose petals for five minutes. Strain them and add a sweetener if it is too bitter. Personally, this is my favorite floral tea.
- Jasmine: Small, unopened jasmine buds brew deliciously into a cup of tea, and it is worth noting that jasmine produces calming effects.
3. Plant some of your favorite orchids in a garden (if you have one!)
- Everyone knows that orchids are the face of beauty, strength, and even luxury. They have around 880 genres and 250,000 different species. A few of the prettiest ones to grow in your own backyard are:
- Cattleya: This type of orchid blooms in strong bright colors such as red, pink, white, yellow, and orange. They grow best in bright light conditions. It blooms twice a year and regrows fast.
- Dendrobium: This orchid grows and thrives in any sort of environment, but blooms best in medium-to-bright light conditions. It has a diverse amount of colors from white to purple and from green to pink.
- Maxillaria: This is a larger type of orchid, and the unique shape resembles a jawline. It blooms rapidly, produces various other small flowers with little green leaves, and is highly fragrant in the best possible way.
These are all ways you can celebrate National Orchid Day, and with this upcoming warm weather, remember to take a moment to stop and smell the roses.