Article: DON'T BE A SHRINKING VIOLET AS YOU LEARN TO GROW ORCHIDS THESE EXOTIC BLOOMS CAN BE EASILY TENDED.(AT HOME)

Byline: JOAN JACKSON Knight-Ridder

Once considered the most exotic of all flowers, with unpronounceable names like phalaenopsis, dendrobium and cattleya to match, orchids are now so common you can impulsively buy one at the grocery, drugstore and warehouse while you're grabbing paper towels, milk and dog food.

At $25 and up, it's easy to buy an orchid on a whim and then watch with dismay as it shrivels and dies in the following weeks.

``The problem is that most people know how to buy a nice tomato plant or a healthy tree, but orchids leave them wondering,'' says Jim Williams, a San Jose, Calif, resident who started with a huge purple cattleya, ...

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