I'd like to address this post to any and all "Newbies", or those that consider themselves to be novice orchid growers and collectors... but, please feel free to follow along even if you've had orchids for a much longer time! I'm sure you remember your very first orchid!

It was suggested that I tell those new to these wonderful plants, or those even thinking about getting their first, that, yes, you can do it! You can successfully grow orchids in a normal home environment!

For the longest time, I shied away from purchasing an orchid... because I thought that they were extremely delicate, difficult to culture, picky plants that would die within a short time of bringing them home... I thought I needed a greenhouse to grow orchids, or at the very least, to live in a more tropical zone! I couldn't have been more wrong! I wasted a lot of years thinking this... and, here, I could have been enjoying the wonders offered by these beauties all along... well, there's no use crying over spilled orchid bark!

About 9 months ago, a dear friend in Florida sent me a cutting from her Epidendrum Radicans... and after 9 months, it's still alive and green and doing well! I gained a little confidence, and purchased a second orchid, a Cymbidium... it, too, is still alive! In fact, as of yesterday, it has a new growth poking up through the bark! Boy, am I excited to see that!

Orchids can be slow growers, and I measure my successes one leaf at a time!

My confidence grew a little more, and I purchased an Encyclia seedling, 2 years from blooming, but still green and growing nicely! And all this in a normal household environment... no greenhouse, no special growing facilities or techniques... just a couple of window sills and a watchful eye for when it's time to water!

I got bolder, and purchased a Coelogyne backbulb to nurse back to growth... it's sitting in a baggie, wrapped in damp moss, and I'm awaiting the day when the tiny nub of a root begins to grow! Now, THAT will be an accomplishment!

I also received a wonderful gift from another friend... a Dendrobium keiki! I'm hopeful of this one showing new growth soon, and so far, it's alive and green! My 6th orchid is actually a Bletilla, a ground growing orchid... and I read that it needs a bit more light than I'm giving it, in order to bloom, so I've moved it to a better spot... it should bloom soon.

So, you see... growing today's orchids is a lot easier than you might think! A green thumb is no more than applied knowledge... and for each orchid I've gotten, I've read about that particular type and what it requires... and then, I try to match the plant with the place in my home that most closely resembles what it needs.

I keep in mind that more plants are killed by over-watering than by any other form of plant torture or neglect, and I try to choose orchids that are easy to culture and can adjust to the average home's environment. I feed weekly/weakly as everyone here seems to suggest, and I keep a watchful eye for signs of changes in leaf color and form...

This is all new to me... but if I can do it... you can do it, too! There is so much wonder and beauty in the orchid world... way too much to just watch from the sidelines! I find joy in learning about these plants and what they like and what they need... and I'm thrilled as time passes and my orchids are still all with me, all green and healthy, and all growing with the promise of one day showing me their beautiful blooms!

I suppose I should mention that I have killed one plant, so far... a pretty purple-flowered Phal... but, it was in losing that plant that I learned a valuable lesson about watering correctly... so, its loss was not in vain! I fully expect to lose more plants as time goes by... there are some things that I won't be able to help, some plants that I won't be able to save... but hopefully, there will be a lesson in each loss, and it will make me a better grower.

What I'm trying to say is... if you've been contemplating the purchase of an orchid... but you're not sure that you can provide what it will need... there IS an orchid out there for you! Do a little bit of research, and you'll find the right plant for your situation! Orchids are too beautiful to just wish you could grow them... you CAN grow them! Jump in... there's one waiting for you somewhere!

Imagine the pleasure of watching your first orchid spike and bloom! Or for that matter, the joy in watching a new leaf appear and grow, or new roots push themselves through the bark, or a new growth peek out from behind a bulb... what a wonderful sense of accomplishment!

I do apologize for going on and on... but the orchid world has so much to offer... so many types of plants and flowers, so many colors and shapes and seasons of bloom... how can you NOT think this is an exciting hobby to have?!!

So, for those with about 6 months in... Congratulations! For those with years in... Wow! I hope I advance to your status one day! And to those still thinking about getting their first... what are you waiting for?!!