If you haven't considered orchids for your home, now might be the time to give them a try. While many do require the high humidity and perfect filtered light of the jungle, there are several worth noting that will do well in your home or office with simple care. The most popular is Phaelanopsis, sometimes called "butterfly" or "moth" orchid. The delicate blooms look like it should be in a conservatory somewhere. Oncidium orchids, sometimes called "popcorn" orchids, have smaller blooms, but many more per stem. My favorite of these is the burgundy oncidium called "sharry baby." It is the only one of the oncidiums that has a scent. Cymbidium orchids are growing in popularity as a houseplant as well. Due in part to the longer time they must be propagated, these are a bigger investment per plant, but their spectacular bloomstalks of 10+ flowers, and multiple bloomstalks per plant make these a very rewarding showpiece. You should always consult a local expert-- light, humidity and temperatures vary across the country, so the basic orchid care that follows must be taken with caution, since I don't know your specific situation. Most orchids are grown under filtered light. So in your home, place them in an area where they can get 10-12 hours of light per day that when you wave your hand over the plant, you can see a shadow. In an office, they're one of the few plants that need not be directly under the light fixture. Turn the lights off at night! Not only is this better for your energy bill, but leaving the light on all the time for any plant is like you going without sleep for the rest of your life-- you don't look your best, and your plant is exhausted. Heat or forced air should be avoided at all times, as these babies like high humidity, and forced air is very drying. If your orchid is planted in bark, it will require more water than if it is planted in moss. If it's planted in bark, pour enough water on the top of the pot, until it runs out the bottom-- then you know that all the roots have been moistened. Check every few days to see if the moisture is gone from the bark-- you will know because the pot will feel considerable lighter. If it's planted in moss, feel the moss before you blindly dump water on it-- you're going for slightly moist, not soggy. The moss tends to hold water longer than bark, so check the surface first before pouring water on. Leave the spent bloomstalk on until it turns brown. It may send out a secondary shoot that will bloom again, so you want to leave it alone until it lets you know it's finished. Troubleshooting: If the leaves look withered with slightly raised veins, your orchid is probably too dry. If the leaves are black and falling off the plant when you touch them, it's probably too wet. That's it! Questions about specific florals? Leave your question in the comment box and I will do my best to answer!

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