Editor's Note: This is part 7 of our weekly gardening series, in which Ian will share tips and his experiences throughout the growing season. It was a light week for garden maintenance, partly because it rained frequently and partly because I am between growing cycles. My carrots will be ready at the end of the month and the tomatoes are just putting out flowers. Squashes and peppers are still young, dahlias are just flowering, and herbs aren’t quite hardy enough for significant harvest. Of course, I puttered around over the weekend, weeding a bit, mowing my lawn and using the grass clippings for garden mulch, but these last few weeks have shown me how an urban garden requires very little time and a little patience for extraordinary results. 
My week off from outdoor gardening and several days of rain kept me inside with the houseplants. I am an orchid man. I have five orchids that I collected over time (they are all labeled with the date they were introduced to my house): one phalaenopsis, two slipper orchids, one miltonia, and one cattelya. Indoor gardening is the growing of plants inside a building, conservatory or greenhouse, and it has unique challenges. Like their outdoor counterparts, my indoor orchids need access to water, air, light, and healthy soil to grow. Water Although different orchids have specific watering needs, it is generally safe never to let your orchids fully dry out. Run cool water through the pot until it drains out the bottom. Never over-water plants. I am not a fan of the “ice cube method” of watering, where you let ice cubes melt into the orchid’s potting medium, because orchids naturally grow in tropical climates without ice. I think the ice can shock the plant and stunt its growth or kill its rooting system. Air Although the air moves considerably less inside than it would naturally outdoors, houseplants survive inside if you are generally mindful of your air quality. I am a believer in opening my windows now and again to circulate air, and my house temperature stays around seventy degrees year round, which is similar to orchids’ natural tropical environment. I also spray my orchids with water twice per week to simulate humidity in nature. Light Different types of orchids have very different light requirements. Some are able to survive without any direct sun during the day and others require more than 70% light daily. Generally, I find that orchids do well in sunny east or west windows, or in shaded southern windows. Reflected light plays a large role in many urban houses, and phalaenopsis or slipper orchids will survive under low light conditions. Soil I am a fan of bark mixes as orchid potting medium because it breathes well and delivers necessary oxygen to the plant’s fragile roots. Some orchids are potted in moss, but I find that moss holds moisture that is too extreme for the plants. Orchids need repotting approximately every two years when the roots begin to reach up and grow out of the pot. They also need regular fertilizing (generally a balanced fertilizer can be used) since bark potting medium doesn’t contain very much nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Houseplants are a positive addition to any residence for aesthetic purposes. They also have positive psychological effects and positive effects on indoor air quality. Like outdoor plants, a little patience and effort is all that is needed for exciting results, and with any luck, your orchids can survive for years, blooming again and again. Photos: 
My week off from outdoor gardening and several days of rain kept me inside with the houseplants. I am an orchid man. I have five orchids that I collected over time (they are all labeled with the date they were introduced to my house): one phalaenopsis, two slipper orchids, one miltonia, and one cattelya. Indoor gardening is the growing of plants inside a building, conservatory or greenhouse, and it has unique challenges. Like their outdoor counterparts, my indoor orchids need access to water, air, light, and healthy soil to grow. Water Although different orchids have specific watering needs, it is generally safe never to let your orchids fully dry out. Run cool water through the pot until it drains out the bottom. Never over-water plants. I am not a fan of the “ice cube method” of watering, where you let ice cubes melt into the orchid’s potting medium, because orchids naturally grow in tropical climates without ice. I think the ice can shock the plant and stunt its growth or kill its rooting system. Air Although the air moves considerably less inside than it would naturally outdoors, houseplants survive inside if you are generally mindful of your air quality. I am a believer in opening my windows now and again to circulate air, and my house temperature stays around seventy degrees year round, which is similar to orchids’ natural tropical environment. I also spray my orchids with water twice per week to simulate humidity in nature. Light Different types of orchids have very different light requirements. Some are able to survive without any direct sun during the day and others require more than 70% light daily. Generally, I find that orchids do well in sunny east or west windows, or in shaded southern windows. Reflected light plays a large role in many urban houses, and phalaenopsis or slipper orchids will survive under low light conditions. Soil I am a fan of bark mixes as orchid potting medium because it breathes well and delivers necessary oxygen to the plant’s fragile roots. Some orchids are potted in moss, but I find that moss holds moisture that is too extreme for the plants. Orchids need repotting approximately every two years when the roots begin to reach up and grow out of the pot. They also need regular fertilizing (generally a balanced fertilizer can be used) since bark potting medium doesn’t contain very much nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Houseplants are a positive addition to any residence for aesthetic purposes. They also have positive psychological effects and positive effects on indoor air quality. Like outdoor plants, a little patience and effort is all that is needed for exciting results, and with any luck, your orchids can survive for years, blooming again and again. Photos: 
