Interesting! My first reaction to what Ruth described was to assume that
the clerk mentioned is "ethically challenged", to be politically correct.
;-) I guess I have assumed a survival strategy of hoping for the best but
expecting the worst since in that way, one is never really disappointed
and
occassionally surprised.

Yeah, maybe I did cut the clerk too much slack. Still, *most* growers are
honest and helpful, in my experience. You are right, though, that many
growers develop repeat customers because the plants die due to poor care.
But I tend to blame that on the buyer who doesn't pay attention to the
culture sheets.

Look at it this way: For every buyer who picks up one white Phal (and lets
it die after flowering) annually, how many are simply turned off after
watching that Phal kick the bucket, and never buy another orchid, period?
If I were in the business I'd bend over backward to see to it that the buyer
succeeded with his/her first plant. You know - create another addict! S

Diana