Simple Orchid Care Advice

Whether buying it as a gift for yourself or receiving it from a loved one, it is important to take special care of your orchid, enabling it to flourish no matter the season.

The orchidaceae, but more commonly referred to as the orchid, is a popular plant often kept in people’s homes. Despite this, many people still make simple mistakes when nurturing the orchid and are often left with a lifeless plant that would tarnish any household room. 

One of the most common mistakes made in orchid care is overwatering the plant. Even though they are native to tropical rainforests the orchid only needs watering every 5-12 days as too much water can kill the roots. If you are a little worried about giving your orchid too much water then before watering just lift the pot and check if it feels heavy and only water when the pot feels light. But there are many different varieties of the orchid so it is important to check watering instructions beforehand.

Orchids need the right amount of light to really thrive. It is best suited for the orchid family to receive bright but indirect light with an east or west facing windowsill the perfect solution. You will be able to tell if the orchid is blooming because the leaves will be a light green colour, whereas a dark or reddish green colour will highlight that the plant is receiving either too little or too much light. Too much light can actually scorch the leaves causing long-lasting damage, so it is very important that your orchid is homed in the right area.

Although light is paramount in growing an orchid effectively, temperature also plays an important role in order for your orchid to blossom. Orchids like humidity, which is no surprise since they originate from the tropic regions of Asia and Australia. Around 50-70% humidity is an ideal temperature for the orchids and you can increase this around your home with a water-filled saucer or a tray of pebbles beneath the plants or you can mist the foliage every two to three days using lukewarm water.

Like all plants, orchids need nutrients to help growth, but there is no need to fertilize your orchid more than once a week when they are producing new growth and decrease to once monthly when mature if you want best results. Too much or too little fertilizer can hinder the flowers development and damage roots and leaves. But it isn’t just your own errors that can inhibit orchid growth; it’s those pesky pests that could ruin an otherwise perfect looking orchid. But do not despair, because there are plenty of insecticides available that will vanquish any signs of infestation. Stickiness on the leaves or black sooty mould are just some of the signs to look out for.

The orchid is a fairly simple plant to take care after and with this advice there is no reason why your orchid will not blossom in all its glory this season.

Federer's 8th Wimbledon Title Report

The question of, 'Who is the greatest of all time?' was finally laid to rest on Sunday as Roger Federer claimed an unprecedented 8th Wimbledon title and with it his 19th Grand Slam after beating Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-1, 6-4.

On a Wimbledon overshadowed by injuries and upsets it was left to the Swiss maestro to restore order at the top of the men's game, giving the champion a real opportunity to end the year as World No.1 for a sixth time. If it wasn't already evident by the standards set by Federer over the course of his 19-year professional career then by surpassing William Renshaw's and Pete Sampras' seven title haul at Wimbledon at the age of 35 should provide naysayers with enough evidence to finally lay claim that Roger Federer is the so-called G.O.A.T.

Federer went through the draw at a canter and is the second player, after Bjorn Borg in 1976, to win the title without even dropping a set. Predicted battles against Djokovic and Nadal never materialised and even players such as Milos Raonic and Tomas Berdych who have past Wimbledon wins over Roger failed to live up to expectation when facing the Swiss this time round. In fact, Berdych's three-set loss was probably the most competitive match Federer had to contend with over the fortnight, but it was the final against Marin Cilic that did at least get tennis fans talking during the build-up to the match. 

The 2014 US Open champion had a stellar lead-up to Wimbledon this year with a 250 title on clay in Istanbul, a quarter-final showing at the French Open, followed by a runner-up finish on the grass-courts of Queen's Club. Cilic reached the quarter-finals in these Championships without dropping a single set and at this point in the tournament; he was certainly a dangerous proposition for any opponent. But Cilic's passage to the final was a fortuitous one really as many thought he would fall to either Nadal or Murray, the players he was destined to face in the latter rounds. But as the draw took hold it became evident that the Croatian would have to deal with two big serving grass-court specialists instead if he was to make his first Wimbledon final. The two major differences between Cilic and his big serving counter-parts in Gilles Muller and Sam Querrey (his quarter-final and semi-final opponents respectively) is his far superior return game and his quicker footwork around the court. It was abundantly clear that although he did start dropping sets, Cilic was always in complete control over the course of his quarter and semi-final matches.

So there was plenty to be worried about for Federer fans. Cilic was playing with confidence, hitting the ball well, serving with accuracy and returning with venom. He was three match points away from knocking Federer out last year in the quarter-finals when leading by two sets but ultimately losing in five but on Sunday he had every opportunity to cause one of the biggest upsets in Grand Slam final history. The Croatian started well and seemed to be putting some early pressure on the Federer serve when the Swiss offered up a couple of double faults. But when Federer held firm in that fourth game, the match completely evaporated from Cilic's racket and when he sat down a set and 0-3 down, the Croatian cut a forlorn figure, in tears, and with medical staff around him. The occasion had overawed Cilic, he admitted it was emotional rather than physical pain that had hindered him during the course of the match and with history on his side, Federer inflicted the final blow of Wimbledon 2017 by sending an ace down the middle to halt Cilic's charge and re-write the history books once again.

I don't think this Wimbledon title will go down as Federer's greatest triumph, but 2017 could go down as one of his finest years. His Australian Open title in February was arguably the toughest title-run of his career and to follow it up by winning in Indian Wells & Miami during March was inspiring. It was disappointing to see him miss the clay-court swing but in hindsight it was the correct decision which has ultimately led him to the Wimbledon title. As the season switches to the American hard-courts it is difficult to look beyond Federer sweeping up the US Open title as well, but I have a sneaky suspicion that Rafa Nadal will have something to say about that. With the No.1 ranking seemingly up for grabs and Murray and Djokovic looking almost certain to miss the majority of the US period, a Rafa v Roger final at Flushing Meadows would be a perfect way to end the Grand Slam season. 

Not to discount Marin Cilic's achievements over the last few weeks but it was disappointing for the biggest match of his career to pan out the way it did. He looked so dangerous when he powered through the draw and in the end it all just felt a little anti-climactic. You have to remember that this guy is a US Open champion; he knows what it takes to win the big titles. When he won that US title in 2014 and even as I write this I still firmly believe that Cilic can win at least five Grand Slams. He is only 28, has plenty of time on his side and with Murray and Djokovic looking frail, I think this is a great opportunity for him to start making his mark and at least end the year in the top 4.

Snooker Shoot-Out Divides Opinion

Dividing opinion amongst players and fans alike, this year's Snooker Shoot-Out has made headlines in the snooker world mainly for the wrong reasons. 

Barry Hearn's decision to designate the shoot-out as a ranking event last year was met with much criticism, which was highly due to the fact that the shoot-out is little more than a glorified exhibition event. The rules differ to such an extent to the main game that if you casually tuned in you’d be mistaken to think that it was an episode of Big Break. The rules are as follows:

• Win one frame – which lasts no longer than 10 minutes.
• There is a shot clock – 15 seconds during the first five minutes of play and then 10 seconds for the last five minutes.
• Players must hit the cushion in every shot.
• A foul will result in ball-in-hand.
• A lag will decide who breaks-off.

Added to that is the audience are allowed to get involved - and I don’t mean on the baize – with something reminiscent of the crowd noise you’d expect to hear during the darts, although maybe with 90% less noise. Plus, like most ranking events on the snooker calendar, this tournament now has a packed 128 players, with poor-old ITV4 having to accommodate a total of 127 matches during the four-day event, staged in its new home of Watford. That estimates to an average of 21 hours of fully televised snooker without a ball being missed.

Half of the top 16 players have opted to miss the event including World No.1 Mark Selby and 5-time World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan. But does this send out a negative message? Do the top players feel they are too privileged maybe to play an event like this? On the eve of the tournament Barry Hearn’s comment was resolute, “Still some sad people moaning about Shoot out. Get a life - it’s ONE event, it's fun and it gives players an extra chance to earn some cash”. One absent player – 2002 World Champion Peter Ebdon – had this to say about the newly instated ranking event, “Not played under professional Snooker rules. How can it possibly be a ranking event? I decided not to play because it has been awarded ranking event status. I played in it previously, as a fun, novelty event”.

Although much skill is required, a lot of luck rides on the outcome of a match. Since its inauguration in 2011, there have been six different winners of the event. The most recent was Finland’s Robin Hull, a veteran on the circuit who is yet to win a ranking title. So the new event status is a case in question. Does the format benefit a player lower down the ranking list? Will it encourage a more serious tone to the match? How will the eventual winner react to winning what could well be there first ranking event under unprofessional rules? The latter being a question that is quite difficult to fathom. But consider this – World No.125 David John has accumulated £1312 over a two-year period. Now with £30,000 on the line for the winner that is a serious amount of cash for somebody such as David John who is struggling to earn money from snooker. The win would propel him from a World ranking of 125 to at least 79, showing the smaller margins at the lower level of the game and how a major win would benefit them.

Barry Hearn’s incentive in my view is a clear one. He is trying to bring more money into the game and help develop players at the lower level of the spectrum. By introducing the ranking status and bringing in 128 players there is a huge chance for an under-developed player to make a name for themselves and some big money. There are flaws with the system and it is rightly criticised but nevertheless it’s a fun event with some added ranking spice to it. And who knows, it could be a major starting point for somebody's career.

US Open 2015 Review

How do you solve the problem that is Novak Djokovic? This is the one of many questions that Roger Federer will be mulling over throughout the next few months after another Grand Slam final loss to the Serbian. In an enthralling encounter the great Swiss succumbed to the resilience of Djokovic in four sets, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, giving the World No.1 his second US Open crown and his tenth Grand Slam title.

It seems that after every Grand Slam old ground is being resurfaced by the Serbian and now with his tenth Grand Slam title he is level with American Bill Tilden, and one more major will see him join the company of Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg. So considering what Djokovic is achieving and the records that he is likely to break in the future it is still quite hard to fathom how the New York crowd just couldn't embrace what they were witnessing late on finals night. Instead, with 99.9% of the crowd on his side, Federer was soaking up the most one-sided fanfare in recent memory and it seems an injustice to the sport that the biggest tennis stadium in the world could not appreciate another truly great sportsman in Djokovic too. But in the end Novak didn't need the crowd's support, with his resilient never-say-die attitude the now 10-time Grand Slam champion soaked up the Federer game emphatically to leave the Swiss still searching for that elusive 18th title. Roger went into the match having only been broken twice throughout the whole tournament and having not lost a set since the Wimbledon final. But Novak had other ideas and within seven games he had broken the Swiss's serve twice and taken the first set. Federer's game was in constant trouble but Djokovic had his own service problems to contend with especially with Federer employing his new SABR (Sneak Attack By Roger) tactic. The move which sees Federer rush to the net on his opponent's second serve has had its fair share of praise and criticism, but none more-so than Djokovic's coach and six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker. The German said:
"If he would have played a McEnroe, Connors, Lendl or even me, we would have said 'Roger, in all honesty I like you very much but I'll go straight at you'. "In my generation guys would not have accepted as it is now. It's almost disrespecting the other guy's serve. Everybody talks about that's his new strategy - he comes in. It's within the rules."

However unlike Cincinnati where the tactic surprised Djokovic and through him off-guard, this time the technique proved futile. Although it did slightly upend Novak's game giving out a couple of double-faults, the Serbian deftly lobbed the on-rushing Federer on many occasions and also made quick passing shots that the Swiss could only watch sail past him. It was all reminiscent of the Wimbledon final in the summer, Federer has the game to trouble Djokovic but the Serb always has the answers. The telling story in this final however was the 23 break point opportunities that Federer had opened up on Djokovic's serve. But the Swiss could convert only four of them with Novak duly saving the other 19. Federer managed to snatch the second set 7-5 and although he almost forced a "possible" fifth set after coming back from 2-5 to 4-5 in the fourth, Djokovic, like so often throughout the match, simply performed better on the bigger points.

Djokovic has already guaranteed the end-of-year ranking of No.1 for the fourth time in five years and with his tenth Grand Slam title has now well and truly established himself as one of the greatest players of all time. So to put his ten titles in a little more perspective and to give a good argument on why he could one day be considered the best, then look at this:

Federer's opponents in first 10 Grand Slam wins

Mark Philippoussis
Marat Safin
Andy Roddick
Lleyton Hewitt
Andy Roddick
Andre Agassi
Marcos Baghdatis
Rafael Nadal
Andy Roddick
Fernando González

Djokovic's opponents in first 10 Grand Slam wins

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Andy Murray
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal
Andy Murray
Roger Federer
Andy Murray
Roger Federer
Roger Federer

With 17 Grand Slam titles, it's hard to argue against why Federer is definitely one of the best but when you look at the opponents that he has beaten to win the majority of his titles, then one might wonder that if he had been born a little later, would he have won as many? Safin, Roddick, Hewitt are all fantastic players with five slams between them but they are never in the same conversations when you are discussing the greats such as Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, Sampras or Borg. Djokovic has simply beaten much tougher opposition in the finals, he has had to adapt his game to challenge the top players and his fight to get to the top has been long and hard but he has reaped the rewards. It's just an observation that is worth noting because it'll always be something that will be looked at when discussing the "greatest". So with at least 2-3 years of top play left, could Novak potentially overtake Roger's 17 titles? Djokovic interestingly revealed that:  "I would not be truthful to you if I would say I'm not thinking about it. Of course I am".

It was a disappointing campaign for Britain's Andy Murray who fell in the fourth round to South African Kevin Anderson. This was Murray's earliest exit from a slam since the 2010 US Open when he lost to Stan Wawrinka in the third round. Anderson had a stellar season prior to the upset over Murray by reaching the Queen's final and also taking Djokovic to five sets in the Wimbledon fourth round having taken a two set to love lead. He won the ATP 250 event in Winston-Salem in the build up to the US and by reaching the quarter-finals at the Open he had made his deepest run at a slam in his career to date. He comprehensively outplayed the Scot from start to finish in a four set victory and although Murray was out-of-sorts throughout the match it was most likely because the South African did not put a foot wrong. Anderson's run came to a swift end in the next round however to Wawrinka, but maybe International broadcaster CNN will start to take better notice of the new World No.10 now after his impressive campaign when they so eloquently tweeted: "Andy Murray crashes out to unknown South African Kevin Anderson". How nice of them.

It was an equally disappointing tournament for Rafael Nadal after his five set defeat to Italian Fabio Fognini. What was more worrying for the Spaniard's fans was that for the first time in Nadal's Grand Slam career he lost a match after having been two sets to love up. Change is of utmost importance for Nadal if he is to salvage the rest of his career, that's not to say his tennis days are over but if he wants to challenge for Grand Slams and Masters tournaments again then bringing maybe a new coach into the fold could help massively. He still lacks confidence on the big points, his so called "fearhand" is no longer feared, and his serve is a major weakness that gets exploited far too often.

Flushing Meadows has hosted an impressive tournament this year which created many tennis inducing headlines, let's take a look at five other stories that you may have missed over the fortnight of action:

• Last year's runner up Kei Nishikori was knocked out in the first round to Frenchman Benoit Paire.
   
• But defending champion Marin Cilic put up an admirable defence of his title by reaching the semi-finals, losing to eventual champion Djokovic.
   
• American Mardy Fish played out his last competitive tennis match in his career when he bowed out to Feliciano Lopez in the second round.
   
• Many players complained of the "inhuman" conditions at the Open, with American Jack Sock succumbing to the heat when he collapsed on court with severe cramp.
   
• The tournament had a record number of retirements for Men's Singles with a total of 14 players retiring through either injury or fitness problems.

So Novak Djokovic claims what is arguably his finest Grand Slam victory of his career. His second US Open crown, his tenth major, his third slam title of the year and his World No.1 status is guaranteed for the remainder of the season. Whatever happens now to the end of the year, Djokovic is the World's best and it seems that even in the foreseeable future, nobody is going to stop the Serbian machine. 

US Open 2015 Preview

The final Grand Slam tournament of the season at Flushing Meadows poses an interesting fact. Nobody in the men's game has retained the title since Roger Federer did so in 2008, so does that make the US Open the most challenging Grand Slam of them all to win? When you consider that in an era of dominance throughout the men's game it comes as a surprise when a tournament has heralded a total of five different winners since 2008. However, the big question is, who will win in 2015?

This summer season has been intriguing to say the least. Since World No.1 Novak Djokovic's convincing Wimbledon title run back in July, it has been difficult to tell what player heads to New York as clear favourite. When Andy Murray beat Djokovic in three sets at the Canada Masters final earlier this month it seemed that the pendulum had slightly swung in favour of the Scot, especially considering it was the first time he had beaten the Serb since his Wimbledon triumph back in 2013. That's one win in nine attempts to put his victory in a better perspective. It also moved the two-time Grand Slam champion to No.2 in the World rankings which would have meant that he would avoid Djokovic at Flushing Meadows until at least the final. But it seemed that everybody had discounted 2015 Wimbledon runner-up Roger Federer of having a final say on how the seedings would pan out for this year's Open. After opting to miss the Masters event in Montreal, the Swiss joined the elite players at the Cincinnati Masters for his first competitive play since the Wimbledon final. The 17-time Grand Slam champion swiftly dispatched his competitors without dropping serve or a set during the tournament and knocked out the No.1 and 2 seeds in the process to claim a record seventh Cincinnati title. By defeating Djokovic in the final he also lifted his head-to-head record against the Serb to 21-20. It also gave the Swiss his No.2 seed back which ultimately puts him in fantastic stead ahead of the US Open. It was only back in 2013 that Federer was seeded 7th for the Open, it has been a remarkable turnaround for a player who has so often been asked to question his retirement plans since his last Grand Slam victory at Wimbledon in 2012.

Another player who has been under the spotlight recently is Rafa Nadal. The Spaniard has suffered a severe slump in form but should not be written off just yet. You don't win 14 Grand Slam titles without having a fighting spirit. Ironically, 2013 was the year when Nadal won his second US Open title and Federer's form was slumping and now fast-forward to 2015 and it's Nadal seeded 8th in the draw with Federer heading in as one of the favourites. If Federer's slump was only temporary, then why can't Nadal's be? The 29 year-old has had a disappointing US Open series so far by losing to Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals in Montreal and to Feliciano Lopez in the third round in Cincinnati and it's difficult to fathom how the Spaniard is going to find his form again. He looks vulnerable against most players but Nadal has offered some hope to himself and his fans with this statement prior to the US Open:

"I feel great physically, and that's important for me because that's giving me the confidence in my body that's always been very important (for) the intensity of my movements. If I'm healthy and I have the chance to keep working the way I'm working now, I believe that I can keep competing well for the next couple of years and keep having chances in the big event".

Nadal missed last year's US Open with a wrist injury and it left a notable void in the draw so it's great to see him back nonetheless.
                                                                                                                             Before we dissect the draw we can't forget to look at other players whose impressionable seasons could make a lasting impact at this year's Open. Defending champion Marin Cilic coasted through the latter stages of his triumphant run last year defeating Tomas Berdych, Federer and Nishikori without dropping a set. It could have been the start of something special for the Croat but the status of "One Slam Wonder" is something the 26 year-old might have to contend with considering his tennis since then hasn't been quite as great, albeit with some injuries. His opponent in that final Kei Nishikori has fared much better throughout 2015, although he too has had to deal with injury problems. Nishikori has captured titles in Memphis and Barcelona and most recently the Washington Open where he defeated John Isner in three sets. But after a decent run through to the semi-finals at the Rogers Cup, the Japanese World No. 4 pulled out of the Cincinnati Masters citing a hip injury and fatigue. It's worrying times for Nishikori fans seeing as it's so near to the US Open and considering his past injury problems which forced him to pull out of this summer's Wimbledon as one example, a deep run in New York doesn't look promising. Stan Wawrinka will be closely monitored during the next fortnight as well and if he can replicate his form from Paris, then we could be looking at a potential winner. But his dramatic loss to Richard Gasquet at the quarter-finals of Wimbledon show that Stan is vulnerable if not playing at 100%. The other players who round out the top ten are Tomas Berdych (6), David Ferrer (7) and Milos Raonic (10). All have had indifferent seasons and will be looking to make a good impression in the last slam of the season.

The draw for a major is always closely analysed by tennis enthusiasts and the media alike. Why? Well a favourable draw can considerably help player's chances at making a deep run, whereas an unfavourable draw could hinder player's chances from progressing very far. For example, Djokovic's opening round match is against Brazil's Joao Souza and although they have never met, Souza won't have enough fire power to truly trouble the Serbian, so that would be considered a favourable opener. On the other-hand Rafa Nadal has a tricky opener against teenager Borna Coric. The Croat beat the Spaniard in there only other meeting last year in Basel, although it was just before Nadal was due to have appendix surgery, so it's hard to predict how the outcome of this one will pan out. Coric has been a regular fixture in conversations for future stars and was awarded the ATP Star of Tomorrow at the end of last season, but he has yet to make an impact at Grand Slam level. Could this be the first upset of the tournament? It sure has the makings of one. If Rafa does negotiate his way through this tie then he could meet another rising player in Sweden's 19 year-old Elias Ymer. Elias has earned a notable achievement in qualifying for all four Grand Slam events this year, so is definitely a player to watch out for. Nadal also has Fabio Fognini, Feliciano Lopez and Milos Raonic all lurking before the quarter-finals, players that the Spaniard has lost to this season, so nothing comes easy for the two-time US Open champion. Djokovic has a rather comfortable looking draw but could be troubled in round four if he meets 14th seed David Goffin. The Belgian was dictating much of the play during his three set loss to Novak in Cincinnati and showed that if he plays to his ability, then Djokovic will definitely be weary.

Last year's runner-up Kei Nishikori has an awkward first rounder against Frenchman Benoit Paire and then has potential meetings with Alexandr Dolgopolov, Tommy Robredo and Gael Monfils if the draw goes by seedings. A repeat of last year's final is also on the cards in the quarter-finals against Marin Cilic, although it's hard to see the Croat getting that far. Much has been said of Andy Murray's chances for this year's title especially with his victory over Novak in Montreal. The Scot starts off against controversial Australian Nick Kyrgios who he has met twice already this year in Grand Slams beating him in straight sets on both occasions. Although billed as a "big" match, this should be another straight setter for Andy as he is so comfortable at nullifying the serving threat that Kyrgios poses. To be honest, Murray will be very pleased with his draw, only Kevin Anderson the 15th seed strikes out as a challenge for the Scot in the fourth round, but his head-to-head with the South African is 5-1, so there shouldn't be too many problems there either. However, it's the quarter-final against Stan Wawrinka that will be the most interesting match-up. The last meeting between the pair was at Flushing Meadows two years ago and Stan won in straight sets and even though the head-to-head is 8-6 in favour of Murray, I would expect it to be a very close encounter. Federer is also looking at a very favourable draw, although his first rounder with Leonardo Mayer will be intriguing. The only time they met was last year in Shanghai where Federer won in a final set tie-breaker 9-7, so this match isn't as clear to call as people may think. Should the Swiss find a way to overcome Mayer, then the rest of his half looks negotiable and a meeting with Berdych in the quarters, followed by either Murray or Wawrinka in the semis looks likely.

This year's Open is extremely hard to call and just like Wimbledon, Murray and Federer come in as favourites with their most recent titles on the hard courts. But Novak is just too hard to write-off and although the Serb has admitted that his game hasn't been up to scratch since winning Wimbledon, he always seems to find a way at Grand Slams to find that extra level again. Novak has only won the US Open once and clearly struggles with the windy conditions that engulf the Arthur Ashe Stadium, but should he successfully contend with the conditions and his opponents like he so often does, then it's just impossible to not pick him as my winner for the 2015 US Open. 

Men's Champion: Novak Djokovic

Dark Horse: Stan Wawrinka