V.K. Melhado our expert of the day, writes:

Few plants evoke more attention than an orchid; once so rare and costly, their exclusive reputation still renders them precious. Orchids in a living room immediately seem to lift the area into another dimension of luxury and ease of living. Many orchids will only have one bloom open at a time, yet people can gaze and appear mesmerized for several minutes whilst absorbing the intricate details of the bloom.

It is only fairly recently that people have thought about growing their own orchids, yet already ‘orchid societies’ have grown up all over North America to give advice, to offer orchid ’swaps’ and encourage the growth of them. If you have ever thought of growing and displaying your own orchids, then it is advisable to put them in an east or north window as they prefer bright, filtered sunlight. South windows are best shaded for orchids.Orchids do not grow in soil, but rather in charcoal, fir bark, cork or stones.