Affordable Orchids used to be grown by only the wealthy but are not terribly expensive now because modern reproductive methods make it possible for hobbyists to grow orchids to match their budget. Orchids are not parasites. In nature many cling to trees and bushes but do not injure the host plants. Epiphytes, the most generally grown type of orchids, grow chiefly on trees, while other orchid types cling to rocks or grow in decaying vegetation on forest floors. Others are terrestrial, anchoring themselves in soil or sand.
Some orchids bloom once a year while others bloom several times a year, and some bloom continuously.
Blooms on a hybrid cattleya may last for one to four weeks on the plan,t while those of phalaenopsis last one to four months. Some have pleasant odors. The smell of others can be offensive. The jumble of ribbons, red, white and blue, amount to between 500 to 600, he says.