Suggested Sist for Beginners 
Our advice to beginners is to purchase only mature, flowering-size plants, and to 
purchase them in bud, so you will not have too long to wait for the thrill of your first 
orchids. Your first plants should be predictable, sturdy growers that will present no 
special problems. The list following was selected with these factors in mind. It will 
give you a collection timed to flower throughout the year. Later, if you wish, you may 
fill in any gaps, so as to have at least one plant in flower throughout the year. 
JANUARY—Cattleya Trianae (Specie)—Petals usually pale lavender with a _ pink 
undertone. Labellum has a splotch of brilliant deep color on the front lobe, 
as in the photograph to the right. An excellent choice for a beginner, as 
it is an exceptionally sturdy grower. 
Cattleya Trianae 
FEBRUARY—Lc. Shoshone (Hybrid)—Medium lavender with labellum suffused with 
darker lavender. 
MARCH — Cymbidiums—A popular terrestrial orchid whose long lasting spikes contain 
from 8 to 30 ice-cream pastel flowers, either solid color or touched with 
dots or stripes of darker brown and mahogany tones, as in the photograph 
to the right. For a cool house, or for outdoors in a sheltered spot in garden 
or patio, where the climate is neither freezing nor extremely hot. Where 
extremes of climate occur, we suggest staying with the Cattleyas. 
APRIL—Cattleya Mossiae (Specie)—A “must” on every list because of its vigor and 
consistent flowering habits. This vigorous specie ranges in color from light 
to medium lavender with a delicate pink undertone, set off by contrasting 
deeper coloring in the labellum, with some yellow in the throat. 7. 
Cymbidium 
Odontoglossum 
Grande 
MAY—Lec. Chevalier (Hybrid)—A medium lavender bloom with a darker labellum, 
Chevalier should flower in time to give Mother’s Day blooms each year. 
JUNE—Bc. San Blas (Hybrid)—A medium lavender flower with the large Brasso-type 
labellum to give you a bit of variety. Some orange in the throat. 
JULY—Lc. Gertrude Peterson (Hybrid)—Lavender petals with a dark crimson lip. 
AUGUST—C. Nadir (Hybrid)—Medium dark lavender, dependable grower. 
SEPTEMBER—Odontoglossum grande (Specie)—The “Tiger Orchid,” this popular 
flower scarcely needs any introduction. One of the hardiest of the orchid 
family, it will stand lower temperatures than almost any other variety. 
A cool grower, it does best in climates where summer heat drops at night. 
Flowers are predominately golden yellow with deep brown markings and 
are borne in sprays as pictured to the left. 
Cypripedium 
Maudiae 
OCTOBER—C. Varuna (Hybrid)—Medium to dark lavender flower, and a good grower. 
NOVEMBER—C. Percivaliana (Specie)—Flowers somewhat smaller than those of its 
sister Cattleyas, but very richly colored. Petals ranging from deep to light 
lavender, with brilliant orange in the labellum. 
DECEMBER—Cypripedium Maudiae (Hybrid)—A universal favorite among the “Cyps” 
because of its beautifully formed flowers and lovely, variegated green 
foliage. Flower petals and sepals are white, striped with a true green as 
in the photograph to the left. Pouch a solid medium green with flowers 
borne on long, graceful stems. Keeping qualities of the flowers are amazing, 
for they sometimes last on the plant as long as two months! 
Page Nine 
