Dear board members,

Edited to add: Please excuse the title error! NEW of course, not MEW!

I am a new orchid owner and I am completely clueless! My husband gave me two beautiful large phals (I figured out a little bit of the lingo!), and two days later a friend gave me a very small, delicate one. Well, after only a week or so, the two large ones dropped all of their flowers, followed shortly by the smaller one.

The little one is still in its vase (glazed ceramic) and the stem is dried up. The leaves are emerald green and shiny and I am keeping it moist but not too damp. I'm watering it with lukewarm tap water and it is not getting any direct sun.

The other two were in a large basket. After a few weeks and when all the flowers were gone I removed them from the basket which I found was full of water! I took them out of the plastic pots they were in, and left them in colandars to drain outside during a hot and humid spell. (I live in northern NJ.) Then I brought them back in and they are currently sitting in our bidet where I water them every so often to keep the roots moist. I cut back the stems. The leaves are still bright green, except one is starting to yellow near when it attached to the base of the plant. The cut stems are still green. The roots are dark to lightish green.

I know I need to repot them and take care of these poor things, but I am at a loss! I recently finished my PhD (hence the orchid presents!) and just finished teaching a summer class. Now I have the time and some energy I'd like to take care of these poor plants. I am not very good with houseplants, but I have a great outdoors garden, including a vegetable garden, so I do have a bit of a green thumb! My mother is great with orchids, but she isn't around to help me now.

I hope this post isn't inappropriate or too long. I would appreciate some information, directions, and links!

Thanks in advance!
Fiorentina