Hello, I'm a lifelong orchid lover, who's new to growing them as well as new to this forum.

Hi, My name is Sherry, aka Bostongirl51972, I am a beginning orchid grower and a new member of this forum. Unlike my username suggests, I was born and raised in Central Kentucky, where I have lived my entire life. My username is a reference to my love of Boston Terriers, not to the city in New England. I have chosen to quit breeding Bostons, and hope to soon take up raising orchids instead of puppies. I have always loved the exotic appearance of orchids, but simply never had the time, or resources necessary to dedicate to growing them in the correct, healthy fashion they'd require. I have been gifted orchids in the past, and my uneducated attempts to keep them alive have previously ended in failure. Being the only so called green thumb in my family, I was recently chosen to be the recipient of a couple of beautiful floral arrangements which contain what I believe to be phalenopsis orchids, in both the standard size as well as miniatures. I inherited these beauties, along with some other arrangements, after attending funeral of a relative, because all these arrangements, although beautiful & expensive, came with no growing instructions, and contained plants that are said to be hard to grow. Some of the plants in these arrangements have vastly different growth habits than normal, everyday houseplants. It is for this reason I am trying to research and learn as much as I can about these plants, starting with identifying them all correctly. From there I have attempted to start learning more about their natural habitat, food, water and light requirements their very different growth habits as compared to anything else I've grown in my past gardening experience. I look forward researching & attempting to educate myself so I may become adept & informed as to the various aspects growing several varieties of orchids, as well as different types of succulents, miniature roses, varieties of ferns, ivys, typical vine types of houseplants & even a couple of very different types of Bonsai trees,(1 pinkish- peach colored Azalea and some sort of dwarf shrub, a type of Juniper maybe?) All of which were placed in my care by my grieving relatives, in hopes I can keep them alive. My hope is to learn how to not only keep these gorgeous plants alive, but to give them an environment they can thrive in, for many years to come and become a sort of living memorial in honor of my recently deceased family member. My ultimate goal is to learn how to provide all these plants with an environment that's as close to their natural habitat as I can supply. I'll educate myself on both the growing habits and all the individual needs of each of these various plants, so they may continue to live, thrive, and in a weird way represent the lives of my recently deceased relatives in the form of a living memorial. This will allow my family members to enjoy the plants & all their beauty as they visit me, to attend family gatherings, during holidays, & the annual family reunion I host in the fall of every year. I know I have a lot to learn and I hope by being a part of this forum, I'll be able to get some of my questions answered, & help solving problems that are sure to arise as an inexperienced orchid grower. I'll hope I'll be able to get a wealth of information along with some knowledge passed on by those of you who have been raising and loving your orchids for many years. I hope you'll forgive my ignorance on assorted topics as I begin to teach myself the ins & outs of this hobby and learn about indoor gardening in general, overlook the mistakes I am sure to make in my rookie learning phase, and have patience with me if I don't immediatly understand all aspects of orchids. I look forward to getting to know the members of this forum and welcome any/all advice, tips, information, stories, or thoughts that may be helpful as I embark upon my journey towards becoming an avid orchid parent. Thanks in advance and may you all enjoy a safe & Blessed Day!