My wife has been tending to these orchids for a number of years.  When we were in Chicago, they looked kind of sad.  They seem to like the Brockport air (which has much less traffic pollution, so I don’t blame them).

Click on the picture to get a bigger image.  The purple orchid seems to be very pleased by finally having a non-south-facing window to sit in.  Speaking of purple, today is Henry Perkin’s 180th birthday (thank you for honoring a Chemist, Google).  Perkin is known for discovering a way to produce purple dye.  His story, which is detailed in a very readable book by Simon Garfield, is worth picking up if you have a few hours to spare.