I think being frugal with earth's resources is something we try to do in many areas of our lives, not only the garden. -we compost (of course) whatever we can altho we try not to waste food -we buy many plants at yard sales and charity sales - not only are they much cheaper but they are proven in our cold zone 3 climate -DH spreads the wood ashes from our stove in the coniferous forest to reduce the acid soil so the grass will grow better -we yard sale for whatever items we can use, I love finding garden decor, but also a lot of household items which are cheaper and may be saved from a landfill -we use CFL bulbs in most fixtures - I know they are controversial because of the lead but they do take a lot less power -I know many are concerned with the depletion of the peat bogs but I have read that the peat in Canada is being replenished faster than it is removed so not sure if that is a concern -we are making fewer trips to the city since the increase in gas prices I think we need to question some of the common gardening "facts" as many of these have been devised by the companies which sell products, for instance, how often does one really need to fertilize their lawn? We try to be organic so have done so only seldom and the lawn is nice and green. I may feed it some alfalfa pellets this year but wonder if that is even necessary. We use no fertilizers other than compost, mulch, and alfalfa pellets. We use no chemical insect sprays but do feed the birds year round so have few insects. I saw a few aphids late in the year last year but ignored them and I think they went away with the first frost! :) I thnk it's important to believe that every little bit helps so whatever we all do lessens the burden on Mother Earth even tho it may seem insignificant sometimes.

(Sorry, Sheila; didn't mean to step on your post--I didn't see it before posting the other response.) Pitch ~ There are lots of questions here, and that's just fine, but I want to try not to be too wordy (ha!). Indoors/Outdoors ~ This is a matter of preference. As Calvin said, Phals do fine indoors if they have good light. In order to avoid bug infestation, I do not put my plants outside. As a "window sill" grower, I use no artificial lights. This limits me to medium light species. Sun/Light ~ Phalaenopsis is a low-medium light genus, with some variation among its species. These orchids do well with ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, or SW exposures--best in the middle of this range. During the times of day when sun on the plant is direct, some of these require screening through semisheer curtains--or pull back from direct light. If a leaf in the sun feels warmer than the hand you lay on it, it can burn. As the sun moves with the seasons, the orchid placement may need adjustment. Temperature ~ There are lots of guidelines about this, but I do not find it to be a big issue. The temps around my Phals range from 86 to 58 (high - low, summer - winter). On average, lights in the grow area can be 5-10 degrees cooler than the 70 degrees suggested. In summer the A/C doesn't go on until the temp reaches 79 and the orchids are well away from any A/C or heat vents. Water ~ I use two methods to judge when my Phals need watering. If it is planted in sphagnum moss (strands of blonde to brown fluffy stuff) one can gently stick a finger down into the middle of the media--about up to the second knuckle or more. If it feels damp in there, don't water; if it feels barely moist, do water. Keep water out of the crown of the plant and joints (axils) of the leaves as this can cause rot. Do water thoroughly with enough water to flow through the pot. When I fertilize, I use 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 gal. water and place the pot in another container to soak for a few minutes. Then I drain and stand the pot on paper towels to suck out any water that stays in the pot. (Note: I do not fertilize a blooming Phal as I lose blooms when I do so.) Another way to test for watering is to round off the point of a bamboo BBQ skewer and gently work it 2-3" into the media about halfway between the pot edge and the plant and leave it in place. To test, pull out the skewer and lay the tip end against your upper lip or cheek. If it is cool and damp, it isn't time to water. If it is almost dry, it is time. (When it is blooming it needs water before it gets too close to dryness.) My large Phals can take anywhere from 6 to 11 days before they need water. It varies according to any number of factors: temp, sun, humidity, growth, etc. Leaf Loss ~ I have a Phal which signals a spike by losing its oldest leaf--slowly turns yellow and drops off. Then, often, as the spike matures, the plant loses the next oldest leaf the same way. The plant never keeps more than three leaves for a full year, But it has very big leaves, which seem to fill its needs. Repotting ~ Some growers repot every new orchid as soon as they get it. These are not usually people new to orchid growing. Repotting an orchid with a tall flower spike, preserving the flowers and spike, is no easy task for anyone. Unless there is something wrong with your mom's Phal, it should be ok in its current pot until after blooming. One way you can check is to see if you can pull the plant a little way out of the pot and check the roots. They should look plump and green or silvery over green. Whew! Sorry to be so lengthy, Pitch. Needless to say, these are my own methods and others could well have their own successful techniques. Sweetcicely

JMC- Blue satin is the most beautiful true blue ROS flower I have ever seen. The foilage is darker green than Lavender Chiffon, looks tropical, and it grows a little faster also. It is a single, sterile flower. I loved it sooo much I also ordered a Violet satin and the flowers on that were incredible! Brandon, I bought both of them through a licensed nursery that always sells on Ebay. THey are a nursery though, and sell proven winners of soooo many plants. They were both healthy and I didn't pay over 9.99 for them. They grew quite nicely also. Do a search on Ebay under Rose of Sharon Blue satin and you will find them. They are propular. GOod Luck!

Very pretty! Looks like some sort of dwarf Azalea, but don't quote me on that. Does your pot have drainage holes? That is a must - even with drainage, sometimes glazed pots hold too much water if you don't have bonsai mix with very good drainage. I also use a plastic mesh to cover the drainage holes, keeping mix from falling out the bottom. This mesh is also sold as needle point material. And you probably need metal wire to fasten the plant in the pot. I would definitely get bonsai mix - even cacti soil usually holds too much water and doesn't have enough pockets for air. Repotme Gritty Mix Special Imperial is basically "Al's Gritty Mix" but somewhat more coarse and cleaner than the sellers on Etsy / eBay. It's expensive, but good and easier than sourcing the materials yourself. There are really good videos on how to trim (and wire) a bonsai - you will eventually want to trim it to open up the middle, create some shape and let air and light flow through. However, for the time being, the only trimming I would do sooner than later is snipping off all those "suckers" at the bottom. Some basic trimming rules: Remove trifurcations: at most, you want a 2-way split at any one point, or node, on the plant. If 3 or more branches / trunks starts at or close to the same spot, you probably want to pick 2. This is for here-and-now aesthetic as well as to keep the plant growing healthy (it will bulge if there are too many branches at one spot). Remove upward and downward growing stems that come off of branches. Remove inward growing branches (branches that grow back in toward the center of the plant). Remove crossing branches: if two branches cross, you only need one. Think of the shape and style plant you want and shape it toward that goal over time: is, more of a bush? Single trunk? Multi-trunk? Banyan? Look at pics if the same species and see what you like, that also fits the material you have to work with (by material, I mean your plant). I find if I keep these guidelines in mind, it makes a lot of decision making easier and the plant sort of shapes itself.