Orchids: A Quick Introduction

There is a tremendous variety of plants available these days to ornamen our houses and to touch our rooms and offices with green freshness. Further, we never get tired of them; in fact, we seek more of them, wanting to add new ones to our home and work places.

Flowers, of course, have a huge appeal to a large number of people, whether cut, potted, or growing in the garden. Many folks find themselves attracted to the aristocrat of the flower kingdom, the orchid.

Orchids have been termed "conquerers of the light.". They amaze us when we first encounter them, and they continue thereafter to draw us to them in admiration. Nature has shown exceptional kindness to the orchids. Their flowers delight us with their brightness and elegance. Orchids smell sweet, but they don't cloy with their odor as so many flowers do. Their texture is then, which misleads many into assuming they are delicate. Yet they can last longer after being cut than many another ornamental bloom. From a flower aficiando's point of view, the only thing keeping them from perfection is their lack of much foliage. But this is not a serious deficiency: one can always fill the space around them with fern leaves for an attractive arrangement.

Many people for years believed that these lovely plants were exceptionally delicate, and therefore hard to grow. This was an error. Orchids are in fact fairly simple to cultivate, and numerous weekend growers are capable of raising some of the loveliest specimens ever seen. The "trick"--and of course it's not really a trick--is to learn as much as you can about orchid growing before you even acquire your first plant. By educating yourself, you are almost assured of success; skip the learning phase and you are doomed to failure.

Let's take one common myth held by people who've never investigated what it takes to grow orchids: Orchids require high heat above all else. Not at all true! Yes, orchids developed in the earth's tropic regions. However, a large number of them in their native habitats grow high on mountainsides exposed to cool, crisp air. It would therefore, in most cases, be unwise to subject the typical orchid to high temperatures.

It doesn't matter how much of a green thumb you think you have (nor not!), the truth is you can grow these beautiful flowers. Imagine "gifting" a lover or friend with an orchid that you grew yourself. Envision winning prizes for breathtaking orchids that you cultivated yourself. Picture yourself going so far with your orchid growing hobby that it becomes a business, perhaps one big enough to provide you with a living. You might not believe it now, but all of these things are possible to you.

One of the best and most complete guides to modern orchid growing is undoubtedly Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, available online. Now, there's tons of information out there about orchids. But Howard's is the most complete all-in-one reference that I've ever seen. You might also want to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of articles on all aspects of orchids.

Here's to many years of pure orchid pleasure!