Hi~! I have recieved some house plants back in December for my father whom passed away unexpectedly~! I haven't been caring for them very much since I am overwhelmed with his passing~! One plant is a "Plalaenopsis Orchid"~! Somehow the Orchid flower fell off the branch~! Will it grow back~? The other 2 are called "Dish Gardens" in which the flower has wilted~! Will they grow back~? How often should I water them~! I did look at the directions and they do need some sunlight which they may not be getting~! Where should they be placed~? Thank goodness the others are artifical flowers~! Thanks~!

[quote:fbb5aad11c="veggienut"]Hi~! I have recieved some house plants back in December for my father whom passed away unexpectedly~! I haven't been caring for them very much since I am overwhelmed with his passing~! One plant is a "Plalaenopsis Orchid"~! Somehow the Orchid flower fell off the branch~! Will it grow back~? The other 2 are called "Dish Gardens" in which the flower has wilted~! Will they grow back~? How often should I water them~! I did look at the directions and they do need some sunlight which they may not be getting~! Where should they be placed~? Thank goodness the others are artifical flowers~! Thanks~![/quote:fbb5aad11c]

Probably the easiest orchid to find and to care for is the Phalaenopsis or moth orchid. These plants are usually fairly compact; the leaves are flattened and create an attractive rosette forming the base of the plant. The flowers are borne are long, arching graceful stems, and the flowers will last for weeks or months. In general, if you have success with African violets, you should be able to grow these beautiful orchids under the same conditions. They prefer moderate light, normal indoor temperatures and regular fertilizer. After the flowers fade, you can cut back the bloom stalk and the plant will go through a rest period before sending up another.

As for your dish garden, florists will often create and deliver foliage plant displays that are referred to loosely as �Dish Gardens�. These miniature indoor gardens can be quite beautiful, with a variety of plants with different leaf sizes, textures, variegation and color.

Unfortunately, these little gardens may not turn out to be very long lasting. Many people will simply enjoy them while they look nice and discard them when the plants start to yellow and decline. This is a perfectly acceptable option. Dish gardens will generally last much longer than a fresh cut flower bouquet purchased at the same price.

Other people will want to try to maintain these living plant gardens for a longer period of time. There are several factors that need to be considered if you want to preserve these plants. The first is that the plants in the container will most likely have very different growth requirements. Some, like the little palms, may prefer very bright light; others, like the rabbit track or prayer plants, will do better in lower light levels. Moisture requirements will also be different form plant to plant.

The other important issue to consider is that, as with most florist foliage plants, they will have traveled from greenhouse to wholesaler to floral shop to your home (with anther stop or two in between perhaps). These changes in environment without adjustment time can be very stressful for plants, so it may take a while for them to acclimate or settle in if you will.

Most often your best bet for preserving these gardens is to do exactly what you don�t want to do and that is to break them apart and separate the different plants form each other so that you can put them each in their own separate environment.

If you decide to repot, use fresh sterile soilless mix and pot into containers that are only slightly larger than the root system to keep them from holding too much water which could quickly lead to root rot.