Suggestions, please.

[debmynar]

I live in PA and would like some suggestions as to what type of orchid I could successfully grow indoors. People have told me that orchids are difficult to maintain and since my previous passion was outdoor roses, I'd really appreciate some advice.
It seems like you can find orchids in retailers all over the place these days. What kind should I look for and any suggestions on the best place to get them from? Is it safe to buy them at Wegmans and is $30 a lot to spend on your first try?
Thanks for your help!

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Phalaenopsis are always a good starter plant, as they take bright indirect light and you don't have to work on creating shade over a window. Direct light is OK too if you put up a fairly dense curtain. A filmy curtain would burn the plants for sure. Another low light plant would be a Paphiopedilum, and would generally grow well with Phals. I am not familiar with Wegmans, but if it is a Home Depot/Walmart type store, you have to be really carefull that the employees have not already over watered the plants and killed off the roots. For such stores, you would be best off if you could get the plant just as soon as it is delivered to the store, before it goes down hill. $30 is a little high for a beginner, I would like to see you spend $10 - $20, since there is a good chance there will be some ups and downs in the learning process, but if the plant is fresh and good sized (extra mass might give you more time to make mistakes), and money is not that big a deal, then $30 is OK. Remember too, that if you are buying a plant in bloom, you are paying for the blooms. Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

I don't know where you live in PA, but there are a couple of great orchid greenhouses in Ottsville: Parkside Orchids with five greenhouses and Main Street Orchids with two. They both have websites, and I've found them to be very helpful. There is another greenhouse near Gettysburg. I forgot the name of the town, but it's near the UTZ potato chip factory. In fact, this July Parkside is having their Orchidfest, where lots of vendors come and they have classes on Saturday and diagnosing problems on Sunday. A couple of thousand people attend this event.

Cynthia lives in Arizona and has very strong sun. Our sun in the mid-Atlantic states is much weaker. I doubt if you'll need a curtain.