Many people “know” that orchids are entirely tropical or subtropical in nature. But in truth, orchids can be found in virtually every part of the globe except for the deserts and the polar regions.
About 85% of orchid types may inded be found in the tropics and subtropics, but that leaves a large proportion to the more temperate zones. Among other things, this means that you will not be out of luck if you live in a coolish area and want to grow orchids, but do not have a hothouse or other such area in which do so so.
There are tens of thousands of orchid species. You might be amazed to know that there might be orchids growing in your own neighborhood, even if your home is in one of our more northerly areas. Take the relatively common Lady Slipper.
Lady Slippers (also written Lady’s Slippers and Ladyslippers) is the name given to a large subfamily of orchids, the Cypripedioidea, with many members that grow in cool climates across North America and Europe. If you live in the New England states of the U.S., or the Appalachian mountain region, or even in Canada, you might find Lady Slippers of one variety or another growing in the woods near your home.
A species of Lady Slipper is the state flower of Minnesota. Another is the official state wildflower of New Hampshire. The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island has a Lady Slipper as its official flower.
If you are considering growing orchids, especially in an outdoor garden, you would do well to consider a native species. It will already be adapted to your specific climate, and–if you live in a place that has low temps in the winter–you might not even need to bring it inside when cold weather arrives.
One of the prettiest native-American orchids is the Yellow Lady Slipper. It is also among the easiest orchids to grow in a garden. On the other hand, the Pink Lady Slipper is extremely difficult to grow.Unless you have lots of experience growing orchids already, between the two you would probably want to go with the Yellow Lady Slipper.
Nurseries that specialize in orchid plants tend to run out of stock from time to time. Nevertheless, Lady Slippers are generally some of the easiest orchids to acquire. They furthermore tend to be less costly to acquire than orchid plants whose origins are farther away. They are an excellent orchid for getting your thumb green, so to speak, before you take on the rarer or more “foreign” species.
All of the rules governing successful orchid growing apply to the Lady Slippers and related plants. You need accurate information before you begin trying to grow these or other orchids, and the best, most thorough guide to modern orchid cultivation, without a doubt, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded from the web. Howard’s wonderful guide will provide a thorough education on the subject. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of postings on many aspects of orchid cultivation.