The name Robert Palmer may not be familiar to many of us, but we all see the results of his work all around us, including in the flower section of grocery stores. Known as the Orchid Man, Palmer’s obsession with orchids began when his mother gave him a reed stem orchid when he was young.
Now in his greenhouses – yes, plural – holding more than 100,000 orchids over 10 acres, Palmer still looks at the possibilities of creating new varieties. The company he joined morphed into one that started bringing orchids into all the stores we frequent.
We usually don’t think of orchids as fragrant; in many varieties the fragrance is subtle, in others, the word smell would be a better description. Most orchids have a stronger smell in the morning to catch early morning bees and birds; some, like Queen of the Night, wait for nocturnal moths. When you look at an orchid, say a small prayer of thanks for the work of Robert Palmer in bringing such beauty to us.
Prayer for the Day
Holy Creator, we thank you for the infinitude of life:
From small wildflowers to magnificent orchids;
Spirit of Creation, you speak to us through the beauty around us:
As flowers bloom and are reflected through the sunlight,
May we reflect your love in communities near and far.
Hold us in your heart, loving God, as we search to do your will.
We ask this in the name of the One who touched the lilies,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Just living is not enough…One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower
- Hans Christian Anderson, Danish storyteller (1805-1875)
The key to nature’s therapy is feeling a small part of it, not a master over it. There’s amazing pride in seeing a bee land on a flower you planted -- but that’s not your act of creation; it’s your act of joining in.
- Victoria Coren Mitchell, British writer
Consider the lilies; they toil not, neither do they spin, yet I say unto you, Not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these.
Jesus, in Matthew 6:25