When I was growing up, my Popo grew orchids. On one side of the house were the giant yellow Oncidium “Popcorn” orchids. On the other side was the screen house with numerous Cattleya and Anthurium. She hung old nylon stockings full of chicken manure in the screen house for fertilizing.
The popcorn flowers were grown along with the red torch ginger with one purpose. To decorate graves. And it seemed that whenever the holidays or Memorial Day would come along, there would always be plenty of flowers to use.
I have fond morning memories of my Popo misting her orchids with a hose spray every morning while listening to Hawaiian music and smoking cigarettes. And she put a LOT of evaporated milk in her instant coffee too… us grandkids learned early on how to use the pump pot to make her coffee, and the lighter to help light the cigarettes. I liked tasting the coffee after making it and feeling all grown up.
Her kitchen was painted yellow and overlooked the Oncidium.