Hello everyone!

I am looking forward to looking around the forum and getting advice from all of you to start my orchid collection.

I absolutely love orchids, but I have very limited knowledge of them and my present collection only consists of seven or eight phalaenopsis plants.

I really want to try a new type of orchid, but I don't have any fancy equipment to keep them alive - other than a windowsill! So, please can you recommend something for me to try next and ideas about where to buy it from?

Thanks in advance!

Hi amyst,
Let me be the first to welcome you here

Oncidiums and Dendrobiums are some of the more obtainable orchids and quite a few make good beginers plants, garden centers are good places to scout out for unnamed (noid= no ID) plants.

Welcome amyst ,enjoy the forum !

Whatever area you are growing in moniter the temperatures min/max ,light ,then from there you can choose other orchids that suit your conditions and will put you in a better position from the start .
Whatever orchids you choose search the net for growing information before you take the plunge .

Hi amyst

As one West Yorkshire dweller to another welcome to the world of orchids, there is no problem growing on window sills one of the best growers I know keeps all her plants in the house!
If you would like to see other types of orchids in addition to Phalaenopsis why not visit the Harrogate Orchid Society annual show which is being held on Sunday the 28th of February at the Britannia Hotel at Bramhope near Leeds(on the A660 Leeds to Otley road), if you would like more information you can email me.

Cheers Chalkey

Hello and welcome to the forum, Amyst.

Welcome to the Forum. Advice as per other people have given. If you have a Lidl near you keep a look out for their special offers, every 6 weeks or so they get in a few orchids at about £6.99. At that price you can practice on them without worrying too much.

If you are able to put a plant outside during the summer then add Cymbidium to Oncidium and Dendrobium as possible typwes to grow. I would stay clear of nobile type dendrobiums for a while as they are a bugger to flower (for me anyway).

Hi Amyst & welcome from me too.
To add to Terry's comment about Lidls - you should get there at opening time, to get a good choice of their orchids.

Hello Amyst.
Welcome and happy orchid keeping.
If your Phalaenopsis are reasonably happy then you might consider slipper-orchids - Paphiopedilums. They like similar conditions and don't take up too much room. Also they come in many forms and colours. Always best to read up a bit first.

Alec

Hello Amyst welcome to the forum.

For a windowsill you may want to think about mini Catts. They don't take up much space and the plants look presentable even out of flower. Alternatively, you can try Tolumnia hybrids or even Masdevallia which are also compact.

Fantastic! Thank you all for your messages.

There is a huge Lidl near where i live, so i will pop there this weekend and see what orchids I can find. I will let you know how I get on. I have had some great orchids from Ikea for £5 before - they are on thier second or third flowering now!

I will deffinately go to the Harrogate Orchid society annual show - I might even be able to persuade my husband to come with me too! Fingers crossed.

Thank you everyone.