What can I put in this vase, and what can I put my phals in?

[Frangipani]

Hello orchid lovers!

Boy am I glad to have discovered this forum.

I have a couple of questions, and I'll start with the easiest one:

I have two phalenopsis orchids, both into their second time flowering (second time for me, I mean), which is the best I've ever managed so far ... I'm just wondering - do they have to stay in these ugly clear plastic containers? What other options are suitable for phalenopsis?

Second question: as part of a design course I was doing, I designed a sort of vase, inspired by orchids that I had seen growing outside on trees in Thailand. It is not a proper vase though. It is basically three triangular pieces of glass, laser cut into interesting (I think) shapes, which do not meet at the sides or at the bottom. My idea was that I could put an orchid into it, and let the roots grow out of the sides. It should also drain very well, since there is nothing to catch the water at the bottom.

I tried this with one plant, but it died even though I sprayed it quite a bit, but I wasn't really sure what I was doing, and I'm thinking that it might have been the wrong plant to try it with. So my question is - what type of orchid can I use that will truly take its nutrition from the air? I would like to have something that requires very little earth or bark, because the "vase" won't really hold it.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks in advance,

Daniel