| cactus and tropicals in holiday might be closer. they will teach you about what you buy and make recomendations better than home depot or lowes. if you ever find yourself in southern california, there are several growers out there. it is fun to go browse acres of orchids. they are about half the price as well. the species that you see at the hardware stores are probably where you should start. i used to keep over 40 different species and i have come to the conclusion that the reason home depot sells what they do is because they simply perform the best and show well. my favorite is phalenopsis. one of the cheapest and longest blooming orchides i have kept. and my favorite blossom. some quick general advice on orchids (always exceptions). they don't like a water, they don't like heat, they don't like direct sun, the don't like hard water, and they love humidity, constant temperatures, air circulation and bright indirect light. they do best away from windows in bright rooms with humidity—bathrooms and rooms with evaporative coolers are great. most orchids will die a slow death in a home with central air and heating without special care such as frequent misting rather than watering. if you know what they like and give it to them they are great houseplants. if not, buy them just as they are starting to bloom and enjoy them for a few months then pass them to a friend with a greenhouse or a green thumb and get a new one. sounds expensive, but it is cheaper than cut flowers. trivia: given ideal conditions and no disasters, an orchid will live forever. almost all other organisms have a max life expectancy, but orchids do not. being somewhat fragile, this never happens, but it could. | 
