Last February my husband and I spent some time in Florida. While we were there we visited the home of an avid orchid collector. I was fascinated by her 2000 plus varieties of orchids and went home dreaming of growing an orchid of my own. In March I embraced my opportunity to be an orchid owner when I purchased a phalaenopsis orchid from Home Depot. At the time of purchase my orchid had two blossoming branches, both filled with healthy flowers. After a while a third branch emerged from the stem and grew quickly. About 6-8 weeks later the initial blossoms fell to the floor but the buds from the new branch were already opening. Now, 8 months later, my orchid is still healthy and beautiful, I never expected it to last this long!
For some specific information on the proper care of a phalaenopsis orchid check out Orchidweb.com. They have some great information on how to feed, water, and prune for maximum bloom time.