My interest ( or should I say orchid-illness?! ) started three years ago when I got a white Phalaenopsis on my birthday.... I was so amazed, that without any knowledge about orchid caring, it flowered for almost 6 months. I'm sad to say it then died, but my interest for orchids didn't. I live in a not too big apartment so its difficult for me to cultivate plants with extreme needs. Especially low temperature is difficult.

I have created a 'micro jungle' for my cork-mounted orchids, most of them are affrican species. It makes it easier to keep a high level of humidity.

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Some of my favorites:

Dendrobium tetragona:   

    The latest one in my collection. I was only in the shop to by some more potting material, but there it was, totally irresistible to me. So it followed me home.

It's amazing flowers are about 3 inches across and has a wonderful fragrance resembling raspberry candy. ( like artificial raspberry ).

Zygopetalum louisendor: 

   This orchid is just mad. It flowers twice a year ( the last time it flowered it started over again with a new spike right after the first had withered! ), it has the most exquisite fragrance like a lily, but more mild, and the flowers are just irresistible with its wonderful colour combinations, texture and size. It flowers with 2 to 3 flowers on a spike.

It is potted in rather coarse bark and I water it about twice a week. I used to have problems with dying roots, but after a repotting with fresh material, I haven't seen any such problems again. Now I only wish it could stop flowering and start to grow again!

Sideria japonica: 

    This one is also rather new at my home, but with its fragrance and beautiful flowers it sure has won my heart. It has an intense fragrance a bit like artificial lemon. It has about 5 flowers on a spike.

Brassia kejliana: 

    This a really easy-grower. As long as it get water when it's thirsty ( which occurs twice a week ) it produces at least two spikes with about ten flowers on each, and it does that twice a year! The only drawback is that the flowers are not very long-lasting. They only last about 3 weeks.