Few houseplants deliver like an orchid in bloom: sculptural sprays of flowers that hold their color and form for weeks, often months. They have a fussy reputation they don't quite deserve; most popular types are content in ordinary household temperatures.

Give yours bright, indirect light and let the bark mix approach dryness between waterings; more orchids are lost to overwatering than anything else. A touch cooler at night helps trigger rebloom, and after flowering, trim the spent spike and let the plant rest.