"jtill" wrote in message
oups.com...
You have already recieved much good advice, this note is an opinion or
two. Sue has a good point that we don't know your location so helping
you locate a local grower is not possible.

- I'm located in zone 6. I'm in middle TN, not far from Nashville.

On HD and LOWE'S
orchids....Boooooooooooo! Somewhere I read that an newbie should buy
an orchid in flower every month for a year, that way if you treat them
right you will always have a plant in flower! I follow that plan,
being a newbie. Also, I think it best to buy plants with similiar
growth needs, Temp., humidity, etc.

- Which is what I am trying to do. :0) I'm buying the easy to care for
orchids. Nothing rare and expensive. My greenhouse will be around 55 to 60F
at night in the winter and in the 70s and 80s during the day. In summer
they'll be outdoors in the semi shade. Our days are usually in the 90s with
high humidity in summer.

Lastly, Buy big plants! small
plants take years to bloom and they start with ONE flower mostly!

- Most of ours were in flower when we bought them. I did get a few for 50%
off because the flowers had already bloomed (from HD). They were nice big
plants for $6. I'm checking out the orchid sites recommended here and see
several I'd love to have. But first things first. The Rion has to be
finished. We just added the HAF fans.... now we need to purchase a heater,
louvered vents and an exhaust fan.

Last
lastly, give a loved one a big flowering potted orchid from SBOE or
Hausermanns or some such for a present with the stipulation that you
get the plant bach when it has bloomed out!
Joe T