The garden’s native orchids have been slow to emerge through piles of leaves, though the yellow lady’s slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) is now flowering. Barbara and I have enjoyed abundant pink lady’s slippers (Cypripedium acaule, below) hiking along mountain trails in recent weeks, so the delayed display in the garden is a bonus.

Non-native Calanthe orchids (below) have faded from bloom. I plan to dig and divide a long established clump that I fear will soon be overwhelmed by vigorous clumps of toad lilies (Trycirtis) and seedlings of Verbena bonariensis. Another clump, struggling a bit in damp soil, was split into two and transplanted a year ago into drier ground where both divisions have doubled in size in a year.

Beltilla orchids (also non-native, below) grow to form dense clumps scattered through the garden. I am somewhat thrifty as a gardener, willing to purchase many plants, but hesitant to spend much for any. Somehow, I became convinced to make an initial orchid purchase, with the expense now feeling like a bargain with dozens moved around the garden and others dug and passed along to our sons.

Flowers of native Showy orchids (Galearis spectablilis, below) are small, but the colors catch the eye on the trail and in the garden. In deep shade, the showy orchids have been slow to rise through the leaves, so while we’ve seen wild ones flowering for weeks, they’ve just begun in the garden.

With difficulty duplicating the soil demands of native orchids, it’s fortunate that small groups have survived. Bletillas and calanthes are as easy as any plant in the garden, but lady’s slippers, Putty Root (Aplectrum hyemale, below), and cranefly orchids (Tipularia discolor) slowly fade and perish if the soil is lacking. A vigorous patch of craneflies along a nearby stream alerted me that they might flourish in slightly damper ground, so if I can keep the squirrels from digging them up, there might be a few to move.

While native Rattlesnake plantains (Goodyear pubescens, above) will flower in summer, I’m uncertain what’s happening with yellow fringed orchids (Platanthera ciliaris, below). Several flowered dependably until our resident rabbits snapped each off just before blooming a few years ago. I expected the orchids would return, but they did not, and subsequent plantings have been plagued by my inattention and cold weather. I think a few have survived, and hopefully they’ll flower this year.