I love seeing people share their first orchids on here, so I wanted to show you all my first successful orchid and hope it’s encouraging! I got this one in October 2024 on clearance and it was clearly at the end of its bloom cycle, so I felt okay to experiment. The first photo is from November 2024. It had stopped blooming a few weeks before, so I cut the stem above a node, waited a few weeks, and vowed to cut it all the way down if I didn’t see growth by the next day. To my surprise, I woke up to new growth! That spike grew through January/February and seeing the buds forming was so exciting. Mid-February, I saw a new 6-inch spike peeking through the leaves! I watch this thing like a hawk and never noticed another spike forming. March, she started opening her blooms, and now that it’s May, she only has a few buds left to open on the brand new spike. She is so HEAVY, her first spike is dropping, and the pot fell over while watering yesterday, but everything is okay. Wanted to share because sometimes orchids can be intimidating, but this plant has been so rewarding and the care is so simple, I love to see that so many people are learning to care for them. Since this orchid, I’ve purchased a few more and everyone I’ve met in the orchid community is kind and helpful. It’s so inspiring to see the love and respect they have for this beautiful plant. Anyway, I’d love to see your favorites!