Walk through zone 11 garden?

[Stingrayness]

Thanks I'll post pics when it's all set up

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Good ones for you are plants that tolerate a wide range of conditions.

Epiphytes to try are Dendrobium kingianum, or Barkeria spectabilis and see if these do well for you. Barkeria spectabilis is a nice showy one and is scented. Dendrobium kingianum has a scent as well, but the flowers are smaller.

If you like weird and unusual orchids, try some rupicolous Laelias, (like L. briegeri, L. cinnabarina, L. crispilabia, L. flava, L. fournieri, L. lilliputana, etc.). These Laelias are lithophytes and grow on rocks usually in climates like yours. There is even Pleurothallis teres, these grow on rocks as well.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I forgot, if you like bigger flowers, Laelia superbiens (aka Schomburgkia superbiens) may be good as well.

[Stingrayness]

Thanks, are all orchids expensive?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Start with the Barkeria and the Dendrobium kingianum. Dendrobium kingianums are plentiful and inexpensive. Shop around. Try on-line.

[Weebl]

Blooming sized Schomburgkia superbiens or Dendrobium speciosum will cost a bit, due to the time needed to reach flowering size and the demand for such amazing orchids. If taken care of they will multiply very quickly though, forming specimens in 5-8 years.

[Stingrayness]

Thanks what about seeds?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Orchid seeds are not practical for the beginner. You don't just buy them and sprinkle them on the ground hoping they'd grow. There are special techniques for sowing orchid seeds. Some techniques are good for certain orchids, but the majority is done in-vitro (in a bottle).

Try Oak Hill Gardens. They're affordable. Andy's has them for reasonable prices as well. Or if you'd like, try going to the orchid show in Santa Barbara and see if the vendors from out of the country will sell them for a relatively inexpensive price.

Unusual orchids that can grow in your environment don't come in $3 packs of 6. It's not how it's done.

It isn't cheap for these labs to produce seedlings and grow them to maturity. It also takes some time and effort to grow orchids from seed. You won't see most seedlings flower for the next 3 to 5 years or more depending on the species! Patience is important when you're growing orchids, they don't all grow as rapidly as daisies.

It's much more practical to start with established divisions of a plant. Then you can essentially wait a year or two for them to flower (provided they're in relatively decent condition to begin with).

[Stingrayness]

Wow thanks for that

[Weebl]

I agree with King_of_orchid_growing, some types of Dendrobium speciosum can take over 20 years from seed germination to flower, hence the higher prices. You wont be paying hundreds of dollars for a flowering sized speciosum though, when compared to a blooming sized cactus that blooms only when 20 years old. So comparably to other plants of the same time invested by growers, orchids can be quite cheap! Also keep in mind there are other options to the larger, more expensive types like Schomburgkias, Dendrobium speciosums, of which good alternatives (or companions) are listed in the above posts.

Sowing your own seeds is not really viable either, unless you happen to have a autoclave type fixture with something comparable to a sterile flow hood enclosure and some agar-based medium.

This is not to discourage you, though! Hopefully your garden works out to your liking, and keep us updated if you continue moving in this direction!