Orchids

Buy orchids to stock your nursery--or give as gifts to clients and employees
By Lea Terry, Freelance Journalist / Copywriter If you're looking to buy orchids, you need to find a supplier skilled in caring for these delicate plants, and who can handle the large orders you'll need to stock your nursery, flower shop or other business. Thanks to the Internet, you can easily find even rare or exotic orchids, through orchid wholesalers that specialize in providing the latest or most unusual varieties. You can even order orchids from halfway across the world.

When searching for orchids for sale, consider:

1. What varieties of orchid flowers will thrive in your local climate.
2. The reputation of the orchid wholesalers you're considering.
3. If the orchid florist can provide the size order you need for your business.
4. Whether you have the resources to grow orchid plants on-site, or if you need to order mature orchid plants.
   

Find reputable growers through orchid growers associations

It's important to find orchid growers that understand and adhere to the specific care instructions for raising healthy orchid plants. Many of these growers belong to orchid growers associations, so when you purchase from suppliers who belong to these groups, you can be assured of a quality product.
Try:  Contact local and regional societies such as the Hawaii Growers Association or the Orchid Growers Guild of Madison, WI, or find a list of national and international orchid societies at The American Orchid Society. And you can help ensure that orchids continue to thrive, by purchasing from Orchid Conservation Coalition participants. These growers commit 1% of their net revenues to orchid conservation.

Save time by buying mature orchid flowers

Mature plants are heartier than seedlings, so if you're just starting out, you can worry less about making a mistake growing your orchids and more about reaching the customers who'll want to buy them. And by devoting less time to raising your plants, you can bring your product to the consumer much earlier.
Try:  Find a wide variety of orchid plants at Orchids.com, a featured orchid supplier in Fortune's small business edition. The company offers gift baskets and arrangements you can send as a thank-you to important clients or valued employees. Find wholesale orchids from Thailand at Thai Orchids, or from Hawaii at Aloha Orchid Nursery, which accommodates both wholesale and gift orders. OrchidSales.com specializes in wholesale orchids, and a offers frequent buyers awards program.

Buy orchid seeds and cultivate your own orchids

If you're a longtime orchid enthusiast with knowledge and experience of what it takes to grow these plants, or if you want to oversee every aspect of the plant's life cycle, you may want to consider searching for orchid seeds for sale. You can ensure that your plants are raised precisely how you want them to be, and be more confidant of the product you offer your customers.
Try:  Find orchid seeds at the Orchid Seedbank Project, or search for national and international orchid wholesalers at OrchidWire.

• When ordering from an orchid florist for the first time, purchase a small order initially, so you can evaluate the quality of the plants before you invest a significant amount of money.