In the kitchen, a wide windowsill will accommodate several orchids, but make sure that they will not be exposed to too much hot steam from the washing-up bowl or, worse, a steaming kettle. There may be more than one suitable aspect in the living or dining room, provided these are kept at a comfortable temperature.

Bedrooms, which are often colder at night, will be suitable for the cooler growing orchids, which need a nighttime drop in order to grow and flower well. Spare bedrooms are perhaps less suitable because such rooms are often left unheated and unvisited on a regular basis, and plants remaining here may be forgotten for days, and, with little rise in the daytime temperature, can become very cold indeed.

These sterile rooms will not provide the stimulating conditions in which orchids grow. The bathroom is often considered an ideal place because of the steam created when the bath or shower is running. However, this creates rapid changes in temperature and humidity, which plants can find hard to tolerate.

In addition, the bathroom is most often the worst-lit room in the house. Usually any light comes from a small, frosted window, which is insufficient for most orchids.

Bathroom-grown orchids are often distinguishable by the light coating of talcum powder covering their leaves. This, in itself, is dangerous to orchids, clogging up the leaf pores and preventing them from ventilating in the normal way. In a house, an ideal position can often be found in a window halfway up the stairwell.

Wherever there is sufficient light and warmth, orchids will grow, provided a suitable growing area is set aside for them. Cellar culture is practised in countries such as Canada, where excessively cold winters prevent the use of greenhouses.

The cellar, which is usually heated, is adapted to grow orchids by the installation of electric lighting and benching with humidity trays, and a system of catching the surplus water to be recycled or drained away.

Conservatories that are shaded by large trees nearby are the most suitable, and the danger of overheating in summer is greatly lessened.