Any advice for a complete beginner....

[JamesEG]

Hi everyone, as the title says I am a complete beginner with orchids, although not with houseplants altogether, I have spider plants, jade plants, ivy plants, a chinese elm bonsai and sansevierias, and I've never killed anything! though I'm almost ashamed to say I have never owned and grown an orchid! Although my Mum has a few Phalaenopsis orchids.

So, what advice would you give to someone like me who has no experience? I would like to get an orchid, so what species should I be aiming for to start with? I don't really want to get a Phalaenopsis as they are the most common by what I can see and my Mum already has about 3, although I do really like them, I would like to get something different, and of course prove my Mum wrong who says anything other than Phalaenopsis is too difficult to keep! I really like the look of Cymbidium, Cattleya, or Dendrobium orchids as they also seem relatively easy to care for, and I love the look of orchids that have pseudobulbs but I'm not sure what species have those.

Also I have a couple of quick questions regarding my Mum's orchids, one has a white fungus or mold on a root, and one (a miniature one) has had all it's leaves turn a strange red-brown colour, they're also very soft, unlike the firm green leaves on a normal orchid, what causes these problems?

Also, I'm interested to know how hard it is to grow an orchid from seed, I love growing plants from seeds or cuttings and watching them grow, it is inevitable that I would want this experience with orchids. But everything I've read about it sounds very difficult!

Anyway sorry for writing so much on my first post... I hope this forum can provide me with any answers to questions I may have! Although it seems like a very friendly community

Thanks, James