Brighten your life — grow orchids indoors

Do you worry that winter snows will prevent you from enjoying beautiful flowers? Then look to gardening indoors.

This weekend's orchid show at Red Butte Garden is a chance to get to know these interesting plants, and, who knows, it might spark an interest in growing them.

While many imagine orchids to be rare tropical wonders, they are among the most numerous groups of plants, with 600-800 different genera in the family and more than 30,000 species — the largest family of flowering plants.

I recently visited the American Orchid Society Visitors Center and Botanical Garden in Delray Beach, Fla. This center is a serene botanical paradise where visitors can explore a magnificent display greenhouse and paths that wind through 3.5 acres of themed gardens.

The visitors center features educational displays on many orchids.

Despite what many may think, orchids are not parasites that live off of other plants. Instead, the vast majority are epiphytes — or air-living plants. That means they often grow on other plants and use them for support, but they do not sap the strength or derive their nutrition from those plants.

Another myth is that orchids are only able to grow in lush tropical jungles. The members of the family Orchidacea are most abundant in the tropics, but they also grow in most regions, except deserts and the Arctic.

Central and South America, Africa, Asia and New Guinea have many orchid-growing regions. Although Hawaii is often associated with orchids, only three insignificant orchids are native to the Hawaiian islands, and all the showy ones are imports. There are even native temperate-zone orchids in the shaded areas of Utah's mountains. (One warning: Never disturb these plants, because they do not adapt to gardens.)

According to the society, if you can grow houseplants, you can grow orchids. Like any other interior plant, the secret of growing quality orchids is to provide them with the growing conditions they need to survive. If you select the plant, they'll be sturdy and resilient additions to your interior garden.

Start with the one that is easiest to grow. The orchid society recommends the phalaenopsis — or moth orchid. These flowers grow best with the same conditions as those required by African violets.

The reason this is the best choice is because most homes do not have enough light to reflower most orchids. The phalaenopsis prefers lower light and does best in a slightly shaded south window or an east window.