THE VILLAGE VOICE

“When two friends understand each other totally, the words are soft and strong like an orchid's perfume." ~ anon ~ Paphiopedilum ( paff - ee -oh- PED - ih - lum ) Gardener's Note: Paphiopedilums , one of the best orchids for home-growing, are Old World relatives of North American temperate-zone lady's-slipper orchids, the cypripediums . Slipper orchids provide some of the orchid kingdom's longest-lasting and most exotic blooms ~ lasting 8-10 weeks.

Cymbidiums In their natural habitats, cymbidiums grow at the higher altitudes in the temperate zone of mid-Asia (China, Japan) down through southeast Asia and extending south of the equator with a number of species in Australia. The climatic conditions found there are also found at sea level in the coastal regions of California (USA), along the coast in the Mediterranean and in part of New Zealand and Australia as well as South Africa.