Growing orchids could change your life - forever! It has for many people. No other plant family offers the number and diversity of breathtaking and intriguing flowers that orchids do. When you discover that you can actually grow these exotic plants in your home and that they are not expensive, your resistance will be lowered and your chances of catching the extremely contagious but wonderful obsession called the ‘Orchid Bug’ are high. In England, and the rest of Europe in Victorian times, these fabulous plants used to be only for the eyes of royalty or well-heeled aristocrats because of the one-time astronomical prices they commanded at flower auctions. They were grown in elaborate and costly glasshouses, usually by a staff of professional growers. However, as times have changed, orchids have entered the mainstream. They are now the second most popular pot plant in the world and are gaining quickly on the leader (poinsettia)! Because of new techniques and modern growing methods, award-quality orchids are available to everyone at prices lower than ever before. You can buy an orchid plant in full bloom for less than you would pay for a bouquet of flowers from the florist. In addition to the orchids of today being less expensive, they are also much easier to grow. Some bloom more than once a year and others have a pleasant smell. And with thousands of hybrids and new ones being produced all the time, there is an orchid that will strike anyone’s and everyone’s fancy.