My cousin recently wrote about silver linings on her blog. I have always been someone who looks at the bright side of things, and tries to find the positive in most things negative. But when my beloved Significant Other accidentally broke off the newly grown flower spike on a long-awaited, lovingly cared for orchid of mine . . . . I freaked. I did NOT see a positive side of THAT. 😉 I mean, this orchid had nearly died at one point, I rescued it from my Mom’s house, nursed it back to health, and slowly it came around and shot out a flower spike. I’m talking a year and a half people. Orchids require PATIENCE. So when I saw that broken flower spike I thought all hope for that spike was lost and it would have to grow a whole new one. Instead of cutting it off, I just left it for a week. I couldn’t bare to look at it. Miso sad.

Then I noticed something after that week. The spike was growing a new spike, just below where it broke. It was growing out at an odd angle, but that was okay, it was going to bloom after all! And then . . . a week later, I see a second spike, (or third I guess?) coming out below the other one! This was unusual. This was crazy. This was orchid-lover’s heaven. How could this be? This plant’s flower spike was brutally murdered. Again, ahem, not by ME. It was damaged, broken, shattered. And yet . . . it’s not only recovering quickly, but blossoming even more than it would have???

And so I have watched this wonder appear before my eyes over the last 2 months: double flower spikes that have produced the most flowers I have ever had on one orchid, and more than I have seen on the majority of Phalaenopsis in stores/nurseries/shows. And it’s off ONE spike! Okay, okay, you get it. I’m an orchid geek. But other orchid geeks will appreciate this. I have propped it up carefully with a stake, and held the top spike up with fishing line, because the spikes are so flower-laden and heavy! It’s a bounty that was born of accident.

This silver lining and positive outcome reminds me of a line in one of my favorite movies: What Dreams May Come. “Sometimes, when you lose, you win.” And I would do good to always remember that.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: Double Branch off a Single Spike Orchid!