Beginner's Guide
How to Build Your Orchid Collection

1. Join a local orchid society. The meetings are good sources of new plants, whether by door prizes, raffles, and annual auctions and shows; communal plant orders that yield big discounts; and/or the visiting guest speakers who are also commercial vendors and bring a load of plants to sell.
   
   
2. Read the magazine of the American Orchid Society, Orchids. It is filled with ads from most of the best orchid farms. Write for catalogs and lists of interest. Some farms issue full-color catalogs with photographs and many plant descriptions; smaller farms often offer only a list with names and prices. Any charge for a color catalog is usually refunded with the first order.
   
   
3. Visit local greenhouses and nurseries. There is no better way to get an idea of plant and flower size. Visiting in person enables one to see many flowers simultaneously. Commercial growers provide helpful answers when asked to suggest plants that will do well in particular environments.
   
   
4. Consult the American Orchid Society's Commercial Growers Directory, published in the Society's Almanac. It lists various orchid firms, large and small, by state and country. Keep a copy of this handy resource in the car. Any trip can be made to fit around a conveniently located nursery. Copies of the Almanac are sent to all members of the American Orchid Society. Others may order a copy from the Society.
   
   
5. Attend orchid shows and other plant sales. Orchid shows are full of plants in flower and booths managed by vendors ready to dispense cultural information, plants, books and accouterments.
   
   
6. Talk to fellow orchid growers. Club members often divide plants to give away or sell among themselves. When a desirable orchid is seen on the show table at a monthly meeting, ask the owner if he or she plans to divide it soon, and make deals. Once a plant collection is assembled, arrange trades for future acquisitions.