| Chef Liz - I recommend you visit a place nearby that sells plants - just about any place will do - such as Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Nurseries, etc. (of course places like Borders, Barnes & Noble too!) and obtain a copy of Ortho's Book on Orchids - There are two of them that are both excellent and you should be able to obtain them for around $20. The information is of course available in many places on the internet, but one or two primary books with good basic information will lay a foundation for you to spring from to ask many good questions. Note: spikes are the stems the orchids send up that will ultimately carry flowers/blooms - called "spikes" because they start out as elongated pointed growths. mike |