article_snippet: A while ago, I visited a Hampshire nursery which raises more than four million orchids a year.
article_snippet: Orchids, particularly Phalaenopsis (moth orchids), have become Britain's favourite houseplant but most die within weeks.
article_snippet: Moth orchids are easier to nurture than indoor cyclamen or poinsettias and, with care, Moth orchids can flourish for years.
article_snippet: Moth orchids (pictured) need gentle treatment to produce glorious blossoms .
article_snippet: More than 22,000 species of orchids make up Orchidaceae, the world's largest flowering plant family.
article_snippet: About 50 are native to Britain, and the common spotted orchid grows in my own tiny flower meadow.
article_snippet: With such a huge range of habitats, orchids' needs differ widely.
article_snippet: But once you learn the likes and dislikes of popular houseplant orchids, it's not hard to keep you learn the likes and dislikes of popular houseplant orchids happy.
article_snippet: Cram their sparse roots into wet compost and the common spotted orchid will die.
highlights_snippet: Orchids have become Britain's favourite house plant but die within weeks .
  
highlights_snippet: Moth orchids are easier to nurture and can flourish for years .
  
highlights_snippet: With more than 22,000 species, orchids' needs differ widely .