Bad Kitty!

I’ve narrowed it down to four suspects. Lan Lan spends most of her mornings upstairs and tends to avoid watering time. Sabine is too graceful for such a blunder. That leaves Riley and Griffin. If it was Riley, I might expect the spill to be more dramatic. Griffin, on the other hand, was probably inspecting the plant, giving it gentle nudges in an attempt to have the plant give her treats. This is all speculation, however. I don’t want to underestimate Riley’s clumsiness.

The victim here is a Cattleya hybrid from Oak Hills Gardens. It’s not yet flowering size but – if it does – it should produce large white flowers with a complex lacey lip. It’s a cross between C. Joyce Hannington and C. Empress Bells ‘White Sands.’ Joyce Hannington was registered as a new hybrid in 1945 (C. Barbara Dane x C. Snowdon) and it went on to receive 18 awards from the American Orchid Society. Given this esteemed heritage, you’d think the kitties would show my plant a little more respect.