The exquisite variety of forms and colors of orchids are made accessible to beginning growers in this fascinating introduction to the more than 25,000 species that make up this diverse plant family. The book covers commonsense advice on repotting, dividing, and growing orchids from seeds in a variety of settings including the greenhouse, the home, and the outdoors. Information is also included on major orchid families and their characteristics, how to choose a plant, how to avoid pests and diseases, and how to enter an orchid in competition.

Mike Tibbs is a distinguished orchid grower and breeder and the author of Orchids: An Illustrated Identifier and Guide to Cultivation, and a coauthor of Growing Classic Orchids and A Very Victorian Passion: The Orchid Scrapbooks of John Day. He lectures widely, judges orchid competitions throughout the world, and is the president of both the South African Orchid Council and the Cape Orchid Society.