Greetings fellow orchid lovers!

Last Christmas I bought a lovely little phal. I didn't plan on it. I
figured I'd go home with a Christmas cactus or somesuch. The
nursery staff assured me that I could handle caring for the orchid.
I was skeptical. I bought it anyway. Well, it has yet to drop any
of the flowers that it came home with on December 23rd! About
a month later I stopped by the nursery to get orchid fertilizer and
I ended up coming home with two more plants. Yesterday, I
was driving by the greenhouse and I saw a big sign "Orchids 50%
Off!" Well, of course I had to stop in.

So, I now have 6 assorted orchids. Two are going to need some
sort of trimming (I assume) once they lose their last flower. Would
you folks recommend a few good books for beginners? Is there a
newsgroup FAQ link so I don't pester y'all with typical newbie
questions?

I read somewhere that orchids seek to achieve a 45 degree growth
angle. Are there pots to accommodate this or do you just keep
re-potting them and straightening them up. Seems cruel if 45
degrees is what they really want. Why not give it to them - make
them really happy?

Ruth CM
upstate NY