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Beginning quite seriously in the 19th century, orchid enthusiasts have devoted years and whole lifetimes to discovering as well as growing new types of these flowering wonders. Although most orchids are acquired these days from nurseries that specialize in breeding the plants, many of them being developed through hybridization, it is good to know something of their natural origins.

Orchids are herbacious plants of which tens of thousands of species are known, with more still being discovered.They show an astouding range of color and shape, which has added greatly to public fascination with them. Gardeners often take pleasure in maintaining a wide variety of orchids to show off their mastery of the art of cultivation.

Orchids grow everywhere around the world, excepting the desert regions and polar zones. Some 85% of all orchid species originate in the tropics or subtropics, but this still leaves a large number that come from colder regions. In some parts of the Himalayas orchids constitute the most abundantly represented family of plants in terms of sheer number of species.

By far the greatest number of orchids occur in three large tropical belts:

• Tropical Africa (including islands to the east in the Indian Ocean). These largely belong to the genera (families) Angnecum, Bulbophyllum and Disa. Orchids from here have not been as widely cultivated as ones originating from the other tropical zones, but Africa nevertheless harbors many species of interest.
• Tropical Asia. This region, which includes Indonesia and other islands as well as the mainland countries of Southeast Asia, is considered especially rich in orchid genera. Typical of the region are the large genera Dendrobium, Eria and Bulbophyllum and many smaller ones as well.
• Tropical America. This region embraces Mexico, Central America and the tropical parts of South America. Isolated from other parts of the world for eons, this region has an especially large number of endemic genera of orchids, many of which include hundreds of species. Among the large indigenous genera are Epidendrum, Pleurothallis and Oncidium; many smaller genera found here also contribute more than their share to orchids that have found favor among cultivators the world over.

In the temperate zones of the southern hemisphere may also be found many orchds, though not in so abundant number as in the tropics. In southern Africa the Disa and Calanthe genera furnish a few species judged valuable to cultivation. Australia contains many genera in common with the tropical Asia. Southern South America boasts a number of temperate orchids, but by the estimation of orchid devotees, they are greatly overshadowed by those
from the much larger tropical part of thecontinent.

In the northern hemisphere's temperate zones, we should mention the United States and particularly the northeastern and New Englad regions, as well as Canada. There we find about 20 native genera, whose member species grow mostly in swamps and moist grounds. The Cypripediuins, or Lady Slippers, are the most celebrated of these.

Europe also has many native orchids, but undoubtedly the most famous and showy is the Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera). The Bee Orchid grows on dry or semi-dry turf, often in open areas within woodlands. Bee Orchids are common near the Mediterranean coast of Europe, and grows (albeit less abundantly) as far north as Germany and the UK.

Orchids vary greatly in the ease with which they may be cultivated, but by and large they are not the difficult plants that folk wisdom would have it. The most up-to-date guide to expert orchid cultivation, it is widely acknowedged, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded from the Internet. Mr. Howard's guide is a complete course in itself, great for the novice as well as those more experienced. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of articles on all topics of orchid cultivation.

Orchids originate within a tremendous variety of environments which differ from one another in many respects. As a result, you will find that some species produce flowers early in spring, others in summer and yet others during the greay days of winter. Their times for beginning their seasonal growth also varies; nevertheless, for convenience, feel free to rest all of your orchids over the winter. The majority of these will begin pushing out shoots as soon as the earth begins warming up in the spring.

When orchids are in their growing periods (as opposed to their dormancy), they must be treated differently with respect to heat, based on where they originated. East Indian orchids require the most heat. Inside, maintain the air temperature around them at 65 degrees Fahrenheit at night and 70 degrees at day. Outdoors they will thrive at up to 75 degrees in the early spring, and temperatures as high as 85 or even 90 are acceptable during the high summer months. Just be sure to shade the plants from the direct rays of the sun at these times.

Therefore, this type of orchid must be well supplied with atmospheric moisture at all times. Make sure they are misted frequently! As well, you can simply pour water over the tables and paths of your greenhouse or other growing area. If you do this every day it will produce a nice, moist heat to rise.

Brazilian orchids actually come from a cooler climate, one in which the air is not nearly as moisture-saturated. These, natrually, need both less heat and less moisture, but they do require warmth during the peak growing time. Orchids from Mexico are much the same. They should be heated artificially to approximately 60 degrees at night and 65 or 70 by day during the spring. As days lengthen the temperature may be allowed to increase so that during the months of May through August the night heat may range from 65 to 70 and
by day from 70 to 85 degrees.

Then we come to the so-called cool orchids, which should be grown in an area to themselves, if possible. These plants originate in such places as Ecuador and Peru, where they grow high on mountainsides. Lower temperatures are called for when growing these. Try 45 to 55 degrees in the winter and 50 to 65 in the summer. However you grow them, you must ensure that they are shaded from the sun most of the time. Too much heat can prove deadly to the cool orchids!

There are many other groups and subgroups of orchids, too many to go over them all here. If you want to learn more, the best and most thorough guide to modern orchid growing, beyond question, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded on the web. There are many books on the subject of orchids, but Mr. Howard's guide constitutes a thorough education all to itself. And, you will find it suitable for beginners as well as more seasoned orchid growers. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of postings on many aspects of orchids.

Orchids, similar to other plants, have very particular likes and dislikes as to the water provided them to nourish their roots. Most of them dislike hard water. Unfortunately, the water that comes out of the taps in many areas is too hard for orchids to respond as well as we might like. Rarely will hard water kill them. But it may retard their growth or prevent them from blooming as gorgeously as they might.

A saving grace about orchids is that they have thick, fleshy roots that can stand up to hard water better than many other sorts of plants. Woody plants, as an example, with their fine root system, are easily killed by water that is overly hard. Nevertheless you should take measures to avoid putting hard water on your orchids.

You can of course buy filters that fit on your water line to soften the water while removing various types of impurities. But nothing beats good old rainwater when it comes to doing right by orchids! After all, this is the form of water that nature supplies to plants the world over.

Many companies produce rain barrels that are great for collecting and holding rainwater until you want to use it. Many homeowners set the barrels up beneath the rainspouts coming from their roofs. With some planning and work, you could set up a bank of barrels to direct water directly to your orchid plants. Then your watering task, assuming you live in a fairly rainy area, becomes almost hands off.

Whatever kind of water you use, don't put it on your plants if it is chilly. For instance, I would not use water that I got from an outside tap on a cold day, without first bringing it to room temperature in my home or in the greenhouse. Cold water can result in spots on the plants, rot the new growths and damage the roots.

Some orchids will get benefit from water with a little lime mixed with it. In years gone by, people noticed that imported Cypripedium orchids often were covered in chalky lime deposits owing to the plants having grown in limestone rock crevices where the water trickled down upon them. So if you have a Cypripedium, you could try adding lime to its water, a little at first and then more if you determine that the plant is responding well to it.

The art and science of orchid cultivation is a fascinating topic. Orchid growing is not as hard as some people make it out to be, but you need to arm yourself with solid information before plunging in to this rewarding pastime. 

The most up-to-date guidebook to contemporary orchid growing, many agree, is Orchid Care Expert by a Mr. Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded from the Internet. Howard's well-written guide is a comprehensive education all to itself. And, you will find it perfect for novices as well as the more seasoned orchid growers. As well, check out this Orchid Secrets web site, which contains a growing library of articles on a broad range of facets of orchid care.

The fact is, many of the most astonishingly lovely orchid varieties are really fairly easy to grow. All it takes is a little foreknowledge, which may be absorbed easily from books, both the printed kind and the digital kind that can be downloaded from the Web. If you live in a warm climate, you will find you can grow many varieties outdoors.  Even if you live in a cold climate, you can still grow lovely orchids in a greenhouse or any regular room that you can dedicate to the purpose.

Why grow orchids rather than other types of plants?If you have had any experience growing orchids, you would not need to ask the question. Orchids can seize us with a hold that never relaxes once it has us in its grips!

Nevertheless, here are some possible answers to the question. The great advantage of growing orchids over other plants is their extreme beauty coupled with the great length of time that they will remain in bloom. Some orchids will remain in bloom for three or four months. A few will continue blooming for six months. Even if your collection of orchids is a small one, it is possible to have blooms the year around, due to the varying blooming seasons of different species.

The topic of orchids and their cultivation is a huge one. You should dig deep into the subject, learning as much as you possibly can before acquiring your first plant. Nontheless, there are some basics you need to know at the very start. Among those basics is that orchids can be classed into two great groupings, based on growing habits.

One of the major orchid groupings is known as the epiphytals. These orchids grow naturally on the sides of trees, or perhaps in the crotches where two tree branches are joined. These are the "air dwelling" orchids, that seem to thrive on nothing but sunlight and air, although this, of course, is not really the case. It was these mysterious species that first grabbed the imaginations of collectors and resulted in the first great orchid mania of a more than a century ago. They are still the ones that most fascinate people today.

These epiphytal orchids should not be thought of as parasitic, though. They draw only a little of their sustenance from the bark of the trees to which they cling, and this does not harm their hosts in the least. They also draw nutrients from water, moss and fungi, as well as leaves that often get caught on and around them, decomposing in the process. Orchid growers love the epiphytals because of the fun--and sometimes challenge--of recreating their growing environment in a greenhouse or garden.

The other main group of orchids consists of the terrestrial ones. As you probably can guess, this type grows in soil like most plants with which we are familiar. Growing them requires potting, just as with any other familiar houseplant. Some of the most beautiful species of orchids will be found in this group.

Many orchid cultivators begin by focusing exclusively on one or the other of these two main groups. Inevitably, though, they end up growing at least a few species from both. It''s recommended to learn about both types of orchids if you are serious about joining the world of orchid growers.

In our day, of course, we have a tremendous amount of good information on the successful way to grow orchids. The most thorough guidebook to expert orchid cultivation, without a doubt, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the web. Mr. Howard's guide is a thorough course, immensely practical for novices as well as more seasoned devotees alike. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets site, which is publishing an ever-growing library of postings on many aspects of orchid cultivation.

Epiphytal orchids, in their natural habitats, have their roots more exposed to air than the majority of other plants do.  As a consquence, by "potting" we do not mean to pack them all around with dense potting soil.  Rather, we want to place them in a pot containing loose, organic matter, from which they can pull necessary nutrients, along with rocks or broken pottery pieces to create sufficient open space as well as to assist the plants to stay upright.

The standard recipe for potting matter suitable to epiphytal orchids is 1 part sphagnum moss to one part peat. Place a layer of this matter in the bottom of your pot, followed by a layer of rocks or pottery bits, then another layer of the compost, and so forth. When the pot is around a quarter or at most a third full, carefully place your orchid's root system down into it. Then proceed to add more rocks and mix, packing all of this material just tightly enough to support the orchid plant.

You should gradually build up the compost until it is up to and even a little above the top of the pot. The height you should go above the pot depends on the size of the pot as well as the depth to which you have placed the orchid. The general rule is to allow the plant's crown to rest on top of the compost. By crown is meant that part of the plant from where the roots start.

If you happen to be repotting an orchid, you must take care when extricating it from the old pot. If there are any young roots clinging to the exterior of the pot, you should try to ease them off with a penknife. It you have a mass of living roots -- meaning, roots that have sap in them -- attached to the interior of the pot, then you might need to break the pot and pick away all of those roots that you can. You may need to repot it with pieces of the old pot still dangling from the roots, and this is OK.

It is good not to water the orchid for a day or so before and after potting it.

This has been a basic introduction to potting epiphytal type orchids. The subject can be more complex than this, especially in the case of some of the more delicate or senstive species. Whole volumes have been written on how to pot the various types of orchid!  Happily, most of us don't need books devoted entirely to the potting art in order to enjoy success with orchids. A recognized, comprehensive guide to all aspects of orchid growing is sufficient.

In our day, of course, we have a tremendous amount of solid information on the successful way to grow orchids. The most accurate and clear guide to modern orchid cultivation, it is widely acknowedged, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded online. Howard's well-written guide constitutes a complete education all by itself. And, you will find it appropriate for beginners as well as more experienced orchid cultivators. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets site, which contains a growing database of information on a wide range of facets of orchid care.

To grow orchids successfully, you must take measures to defeat these pests before they can damage your plants. Each pest type has at least one and sometimes several specific ways to deal with it. Thorough cleanliness is your best defense against all pests.

Pests will often be found hitchhiking on imported plants, thwarting the best efforts of agricultural control laws and officials.However, even nursery-grown orchids can have pests lurking in their potting soil or within their root structures.

Check out any new plant completely before allowing it into your home. Immediately kill all the pests that you are able to find through visual inspection. If you do not, in time they will destroy the foliage, ruining the plant's appearance if not killing it. The flowers will be destroyed by these marauders, as well -- a frustrating situation after you've lavised much care and expense on your plant.

Especially if you have other orchids in your garden or greenhouse or home, you should treat every new plant with suspicion. Place it in a "probation" room or other area for a few days. If you find insects anywhere on it, don't rest until you have completely got rid of them.

Pests cannot escape destruction if you wash all of the leaves, bulbs and roots of the plant. The best procedure simply consists of thoroughly and systematically cleaning the bulbs and foliage. Shake the plant out of the pot, cut away all decayed roots, wash the sound roots in clean water and then re-pot in clean containers using new material.

When done well, this is a good means for destroying pests that a beginning cultivator wold have to search closely for to even spot. Some pests could be found in the shape of eggs. Others appear as young insects but are so minute that you need a magnifying glass to find them in the foliage. Your first line of defense against all of these is a good cleaning, as outlined above.

A good guide to orchid growing will have many more tips and suggestions for making sure that a pest doesn't put an end to your prized plants. The most thorough guide to modern orchid growing, I have found, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the web. Mr. Howard's guide is a thorough course of study, helpful for novices as well as more experienced growers alike. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of postings on all topics of orchid cultivation.

About 85% of orchid species may inded be found in the tropics and subtropics, but that leaves a large proportion to the more temperate zones. Among other things, this means that you will not be out of luck if you live in a cool area and want to grow orchids, but do not have a greenhouse or other heated area in which do so so.

There are tens of thousands of orchid species. You might be amazed to learn that there might be wild orchids growing in your very neighborhood, even if you inhabit one of our more northerly climes. Take the relatively common Lady Slipper.

Lady Slippers (also written Lady's Slippers and Ladyslippers) is a name given to a large subfamily of orchids, the Cypripedioidea, with many species that grow in cool climates over much of North America and Europe. If you live in the New England states of the U.S., or the Appalachian mountain region, or even in Canada, you might find Lady Slippers of one variety or another growing in the woods near your home.

A species of Lady Slipper is the state flower of Minnesota. Another is the official state wildflower of New Hampshire. The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island has a Lady Slipper as its official flower.

If you are considering growing orchids, especially in an outdoor garden, you would do well to consider a native species. It will already be adapted to your particular climate, and--if you live in a place that sees low temps in the winter--you might not even have to bring it inside when cold weather arrives.

One of the prettiest native-American orchids is the Yellow Lady Slipper. It is also among the easiest orchids to grow in a garden. On the other hand, the Pink Lady Slipper is extremely difficult to grow.Although both of them are lovely, you would be better off growing the Yellow Lady Slipper if your orchid growing experience is limited.

Nurseries that specialize in orchid plants tend to run out of stock from time to time. Nevertheless, Lady Slippers are generally some of the easiest orchids to acquire. They also tend to be less expensive than orchid plants from exotic locations. They are a great orchid for getting your thumb green, so to speak, before you take on the rarer or more "foreign" varieties.

All of the advice pertaining to successful orchid cultivation apply to the Lady Slippers and related plants. You need accurate information before you begin attempting to grow these or other orchids, and  the best, most complete guide to modern orchid growing, without a doubt, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded from the web. Howard's wonderful guide will provide a thorough immersion in the subject. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of postings on many aspects of orchid cultivation.

Creating a rock garden and looking after its upkeep can be a good hobby. The retired persons can especially take this up as a pastime and spend many a leisurely moment in the rock garden.

Origin of rock garden concept and aspects of rock gardens

Originally it were the travelers to the Swiss Alps who got impressed by the flora that grew among the snowy heights and rocky terrain out there and introduced the exotic flora and feel in their homelands. The rock gardens can come in various shapes and sizes. They may be small and simply done as also vast and elaborately set up. Every rock garden can be set up in a unique way. While simple rock gardens may include only flowers, foliage and rocks the exotic ones can also be made having ponds and waterfalls in them. Your landscape can indeed be wonderfully transformed by making use of a worthy rock garden idea.

The rock garden is usually observed as a pile of rocks of different sizes that are aesthetically arranged with small gaps being introduced in between them for planting of flora. Bonsai may also be incorporated suitably in rock gardens. Rock gardens can also be styled in the Japanese rock garden way. In such case the rock gardens are also referred to as Zen garden. These are special rock gardens with hardly any plants. Rocks and affine, light colored gravel are what make up such Zen gardens.

Going about with setting up of rock garden

While proceeding with setting up of rock garden the rock that is available in the locality is primarily considered for building up the garden. This also gives a natural look to the garden. Often there are a number of rock types to choose from. Any native rock that helps create a natural look should be selected. After placement of the rocks they ought to be allowed to settle down for a few weeks for judging their stability and effect on soil conditions.

While selecting the flora type for rock gardens, though there are no rules or conventions as such, choices of plants need to be made judiciously. Plants that will be able to withstand and thrive in the climatic condition of the garden should be the ones that are to be naturally selected. Personal favorites among such plants can be opted for of course keeping with your ideas of a rock garden setting.

Using of the right kind of soil - rich, light in texture, and well drained to avoid water stagnation - is much needed in the rock garden. Usage of strong fertilizers should be avoided and natural soil enriching material should be preferably used. Watering is also a very important thing to take care of. Using a watering can for watering purpose is the best way out. Alongside, care must be taken to ensure that the garden is not overshadowed by large trees. The garden must get exposed to the sun, wind and other natural elements.