Types of orchids suitable for beginners?

[Orchid Whisperer]

This may be contrary to what others may recommend, but I would advise learning to grow the orchids you already have, grow them well and learn to re- bloom them, before branching out to the more exotic types. To me there is no faster way to extinguish interest in orchids than to buy a load of exotic hard-to-grow types before learning "orchid basics" with easier plants first.

[bil]

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

This may be contrary to what others may recommend, but I would advise learning to grow the orchids you already have, grow them well and learn to re- bloom them, before branching out to the more exotic types. To me there is no faster way to extinguish interest in orchids than to buy a load of exotic hard-to-grow types before learning "orchid basics" with easier plants first.

Lunarlemon, the advice given above is possibly the best I have heard.

I started with phals and Denphals and catts. I originally tried a couple of Miltonopsis plants, because I had asked a garden shop to get in some other types. So, I felt obligated to buy some (Oh woe!)
I really didn't think they would make it, as we routinely get temps up to 42C (114 - 115 F) However, I found an outdoor site where they survived and eve some rebloomed this winter.
So, I am trying a few more, -- on the basis of looking at what seemed to need the same conditions as Milts.

So we shall see how those do. Then, who knows?

Read everything you can, over and over. I got William Cullina's 'Understanding Orchids' for christmas, and a damn good book it is too. It has culture notes on a wide range of orchids, which I found very useful.

To put it simply, if Fred down the road says a Paph should do ok, Fred may be wrong. How ever, if you have a particular orchid doing well, then it is a likely bet that other orchids that are described BY A COMMON SOURCE to need the same conditions will also do well.

Dracs? I read what Wm Cullina said, and simply went "No way!"