Orchids for all

Jean Stowe: There was a vibrant atmosphere at the RHS London Orchid Show held on 15 and 16 March 2008 at the Lawrence Hall, Westminster. Experts and beginners alike marvelled at the breathtaking quality of the blooms and the range of plants exhibited.

Gold medal winners included McBean's Orchids, with an amazing array of 130 Cymbidium hybrids, all bred at its nursery in Lewes, East Sussex and named within the last two years.

Another Sussex nursery, Laurence Hobbs Orchids Ltd, Bailiffs Cottage Nursery, Hophurst Lane, Crawley Down, West Sussex RH10 4LN (call 01342 715142) was awarded a Cultural Commendation for a magnificent specimen of Coelogyne cristata. Send four first-class stamps for a catalogue.

Foreign exhibitors from Germany, France, Denmark, Brazil, Taiwan, and Peru added to the glamour of the occasion. Plants from Venezuela were surrounded by cotton wool to mimic the cloud forest of their natural habitat.

It wasn’t all bling – I bought two miniature Phalaenopsis hybrids about 18cm (7in) tall, because these are the easiest of orchids to grow in the home.

An exhibit staged by the Equatorial Plant Company from Castle Barnard, County Durham, was an oasis of green calm. The company featured species of Dendrochilum, which although not showy, are long-lived, easy to grow and often fragrant.

Maren Talbot of Heritage Orchids in Marlow, staged drifts of Pleione in a naturalistic setting. This pretty little orchid grows to about 15cm (6in).

'Easter Parade' was a display of exotic Easter bonnets created by members of the National Association of Flower Arranging Societies (NAFAS). The winner was Mrs Dallas Taylor from Surrey.

Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis)

Where to grow: moth orchids are happy in a living room, where they can easily cope with central heating and low light levels.

Growing tips: although they cope with the heat of modern rooms, they do like high humidity so mist with water regularly. Stake the flower spike with a cane before the blooms open – you can buy packs of orchid clips for around 10p each.

Buying tips: you should have plenty of choice, and if space is limited look for the miniature hybrids.

Some of McBean's most popular ones include miniature Cymbidium Lambkin 'Little Rascal’, but don’t be fooled – ‘miniature’ plants reach 45cm (18in) on average. They produce gorgeous green flowers with a cream lip, which is edged yellow-green. It flowers from February to March.

Cymbidium 'Loch Meadie'

Where to grow: these are 'cool-growing' orchids that need a temperature of 16-20°C (61-68°F) in the day and 11.5-14°C (53-58°F) at night. It's vital that the night temperature falls below 15°C (58°F) when flower buds are developing, otherwise they may drop off prematurely. When indoors, keep your plant in a light position. From June to late September it should be placed outside, as your cymbidium needs the light, air and a reasonable drop in temperature at night if it is to produce flowers for the following season.

Growing tips: if the orchid is in a peat and perlite mix, allow the compost to become dry before watering. If it's in rockwool, never allow the compost to dry out completely or it will harden. Feed your plant regularly with orchid fertiliser when you water, except every fourth watering, when you should leave out the fertiliser to allow the salts to wash away. To overcome a dry atmosphere, stand the plant on a moist gravel tray, but make sure that the base of the pot is above the water level.

Beautiful vanda orchids, which can have huge 12.5cm (5in) flowers, naturally grow on trees and rocks in tropical Asia and Australia. Given the right temperatures and plenty of sun, they will grow all year round and flower one to three times a year. The blooms last six to eight weeks.

Vanda orchid

Growing tips: the easiest way to water a vanda is to stand the plant in a vase. When the weather is warm, the vase should be filled twice a week. When cool, it should be watered weekly, preferably in the morning. When the vase is filled with water, air bubbles will escape from the plant's roots, because the roots absorb water like a sponge. After about 10 minutes, no more bubbles will appear and the remaining water can be poured away.

Regular spraying with a hand mister is beneficial. A standard, balanced fertiliser, available from florists and garden centres, should be used monthly. A full dose should be given when sunny and a half dose when cloudy.

Buying tips: expect to pay from £20 upwards for hanging plants and £45 for blooms in big glass vases. Anco Orchidee is the main supplier: this Dutch firm has been growing vandas for 10 years and is the country’s biggest nursery. The plants are grown to strict ecological standards; they are raised in Thailand for five years before being flown to Holland, grown on for a further year and then sold in garden centres. The main breed is Blue Magic, but there are many other varieties and colours. They are quite tricky to keep watered without a vase, so it's a worthwhile investment unless you are prepared to dip them regularly in a clean bucket and hang them up by wires.

Bestselling Fito drip-feed system

Orchids need feeding if you want to keep them long-term and also to get them to flower again. Most orchid feeds are liquids that are diluted and applied when watering. Two new high-nitrogen ones include Baby Bio Orchid Food: dilute and use every time you water when plants are actively growing. Vitax Organic Feed should be applied weekly during the growing season. Each month, the growing medium should be flushed with clean water to avoid the build-up of soluble salts.