Orchids For Dummies

Packed with photos, including 8 pages in full color Color your world with orchids Orchids are beautiful, fragrant, wonderfully varied, and surprisingly affordable. But aren′t they hard to grow at home? No! says orchid grower extraordinaire Steve Frowine. In this handy guide, he shows you step by step how to select the right orchids, keep them healthy, encourage blooms, and even propagate your own plants. Discover how to: Select orchids that will thrive in your home Water, fertilize, repot, and propagate orchids Decipher complicated orchid names Get familiar with favorite orchid varieties Create spectacular orchid displays

Introduction. Part I: Welcoming Orchids into Your Life. Chapter 1: Getting the Lowdown on Orchids. Chapter 2: Choosing the Right Orchid for You. Chapter 3: Having the Right Tools on Hand. Chapter 4: How I Love Thy Orchid: Enjoying the Orchid’s Beauty. Part II: The Basics of Orchid Parenthood. Chapter 5: Providing the Right Growing Environment. Chapter 6: Watering and Fertilizing Orchids. Chapter 7: The ABCs of Potting Materials, Containers, and Repotting. Chapter 8: Two, Four, Six, Eight, Let Your Orchids Propagate: Multiplying Your Orchids. Chapter 9: Keeping Your Orchids Pest– and Disease–Free. Part III: The Best Orchids for Rookies. Chapter 10: Moth Orchids and Their Relatives: The Best Choice for Beginners. Chapter 11: The Quintessential Orchids: Cattleyas and Their Relatives. Chapter 12: Slipper Orchids. Chapter 13: Dancing Ladies: Oncidiums and Their Relatives. Chapter 14: Significant Others. Part IV: The Part of Tens. Chapter 15: The Ten (or So) Easiest Orchids to Grow. Chapter 16: The Ten Most Common Ways Orchids Are Killed. Chapter 17: The Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions about Orchids. Chapter 18: The Ten Most Common Reasons Why Orchids Don’t Bloom. Appendix: Resources. Index.

Steven A. Frowine is a professional horticulturalist who grows more than 200 orchids in his Connecticut home. The National Gardening Association (NGA), is a not–for–profit leader in plant education.