I love Phalaenopsis orchids, for many reasons. They’re beautiful, easy to care for, relatively inexpensive, are a great gateway orchid, and you only ever have to buy one. That’s right, you only ever have to buy one.
Once you get your orchid to re-bloom, and mention that your orchid re-blooms, everyone else who has ever received one as a gift will give you theirs. They hate to throw them away, because they were a gift, but they don’t get re-blooms, and don’t know what to do. I have seven Phalaenopsis orchids. I’ve only ever purchased one.
This one is a case in point. This orchid was a donation/rescue, so it’s the first time I’ve seen it in bloom. I rehabbed my neighbor’s orchid and it bloomed for her. Once the word got out she started showing up at my door with orchids from her friends. They didn’t want them back, thought they were “too difficult”, and they could now rest easy that they had sent the plant to a good home.
If you don’t have a Phalaenopsis, you need one. And the good news is that you’ll only have to buy one. They are so easy and so rewarding; just don’t do that ice cube thing, and remember they’re epiphytes. Mine literally get no special care, live in whatever the house environment is, spend the winters in a bright west window, and bloom regularly. What more could you ask for? There’s six more getting ready to bloom, so…
I’ll keep you posted.
