Thanks everyone!
OMG that's a lotta snow Janice!
Gary...those orchids are stunning!
I haven't been to Longwood yet either!
Red, that's a Phalaenopsis orchid, just a weird camera angle with the leaves pointing up, looks like a funnel, yeah.
I'll take a better pic tomorrow...if I remember.
miguynmkoi, we have more feeders in other trees too. And Suet Feeders.
Kittyzee, yup, most people 'fuss' orchids to death, between overwatering and keeping them too dark.
Cymbs, to me, are the easiest...because they don't midn chilly weather at all, or a chilly house.
In fact, they need a pretty good chilly period to get them to set spikes. (bloom) I leave mine out 'til the first light frost to 'scare' them into blooming.
And they are terrestrial. You can grow them in well drained potting soil mixed with some orchids chips (like 2 parts soil 1 part orchid chips), or sub perlite for orchid chips.
FYI for everyone. Growing orchids
is easy...you just gotta understand 'orchids' don't have one growing method as much as growing 'trees'.
Do you give all trees the same growing method?
Neither is there one set way of growing orchids either.
You gotta know which type you are growing, find out what it likes, and then give it what it likes. Choose types you know will do well in your house, in your climate.
Orchids come from all over the world. Some types grow clinging to trees by their roots. Some types grow on rocks. Some grow in the ground just like 'normal' plants.
Others are almost air plants...growing with no soil at all. Some like LOTS of humidity...so like it drier. Some like full sun, some don't. Some like a little of both.
Considering all this...there IS an orchid you can grow in your climate, somewhere in your house. If you want. If there's a will, there's a way.
Growing water lilies is harder than growing orchids...so most of you have no excuse.
