Wyoming friendly orchids?
 

Hello there Orchid fans! I am new to this and am in quite the difficult area for growing orchids. I would like some advice from the more experienced Orchid lovers than myself on which orchids would be good to start with. This is the one plant my mother has always failed. She blames Wyoming, but I know I can prove her wrong. I need to prove my green thumb worthy and be able to coexsist with my favorite plant! Please help me. Thank you to whoever you are.

Epiphytical Laelias (as in Laelias that grow on trees) in my opinion are great beginner's orchids. These are very forgiving.

If you can provide bright indirect light, and moderate to high humidity (50% - 70% is good enough, they can take it higher though), I think half the battle is won. Many Laelias tend to be somewhat "temperature tolerant", being able to handle temperatures of 45 F to 100 F.

Be advised that many of these are very large plants.

Here are a few species that I can recommend:

Laelia purpurata (any of the variants)
Laelia superbiens
Laelia tenebrosa

Bifrenaria are good beginner's orchids as well. The thing with these is that you've gotta do a little research as to where and how they grow, they don't all grow the same way. But other than that, they're pretty hardy. I've found that my Bifrenaria tyrianthina was able to handle quite a few mistakes.

Bletilla striata is probably one of the best beginner's orchids as well. Here's why...

They grow just like your spring bulbs do. They grow in the spring and summer. They stop growing in fall and start dropping leaves. They're dormant in the winter.

Bletilla striata grows as a true terrestrial, and in their native China, they grow on rocky outcrops or ledges in bright indirect light with their roots and stem tubers in humus and leaf litter amongst short scrub.

Certain Cattleyas shouldn't overly difficult either.

Here're a few to try out:

Cattleya bowringiana
Cattleya forbesii
Cattleya harrisoniae
Cattleya jenmanii
Cattleya mossiae
Cattleya quadricolor
Cattleya percivaliana
Cattleya walkeriana

Cymbidium hybrids are fairly easy as well. Cymbidium species are not difficult, but keep in mind that depending on the species, they may either be terrestrial or epiphytical.

I don't like recommending Phalaenopsis to beginners because they're not built to withstand too many mistakes. Phals come from habitats with relatively more stable climates. Therefore, they're not quite as forgiving.

Please resist the urge to buy cheap rescue plants. It's frustrating for the hobbyist. Especially when they first start out.