To cakedaddy, natal, & Pavel: (one of my pet sitting clients has a Siberian cat named Pavel... you don't hear that name very often). Quite a broad spectrum of experiences and opinions! Natal, I was perplexed by your post. After six years, why would you say that one Bulbo is not going to be around anymore? what are you doing differently now? Why did it thrive for almost 6 years and now it isn't? DO ORCHIDS HAVE A "LIFE EXPECTANCY"? If all the conditions are met to grow a particular plant, why would it not live in definitely??? In my experience, if I can get through one whole year (or four seasons), and have it still survive , it will be around for a long time. Pavel, I was encouraged when you said you had difficulty with them also (no offense). It just made me feel like I wasn't the only person who had an orchid die in 4-5 days. I did everything I was supposed to do too! (except maybe picking one that was difficult to grow, Bulbo. medusae.). I was so angry, I threw it off the front porch into the grass, pot & all. I SUSPECT THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE GROWING CONDITIONS BETWEEN PAVEL, NATAL, CAKEDADDY, & myself, which likely accounts for why some of us have success with them while others don't (NATAL grows outside only, I grow inside, in a mini greenhouse only, CAKEDADDY, I'm guessing you either grow entirely outside, or partially indoors AND outdoors. PAVEL, I'm not sure if you grow your Phaphs & Catts just "inside" (like on a windowsill) and maybe have a small terrarium type area for high humidity loving minis. When someone has success with something we'd like to grow, it's important to find out their growing conditions, and not label ourselves as a failure, which is what I did!! Hypothetically, there could be someone who made a post about blooming something very difficult and exotic. We may later find out that they have a large commercial greenhouse operation. The standard orchid nurseries I've seen have a cool house, intermediate house, and a warm house. Some even have a 4th greenhouse with conditions not provided in the other three (EXTREMELY hi humidity, etc.). I assumed most orchids would like high humidity but when it got over 80, I ran into trouble.). ALL IN ALL: it sounds like there are more growers that have some trouble with BULBOS than the opposite, SO FAR. I thank everyone who has posted and appreciate your encouragement. I haven't quit at anything else I've wanted to do in life so I'm not going to quit on BULBOS either. In fact, the very next one I buy, which will be my second purchase of a Bulbophyllum, will be something I don't even research...it may be difficult or it may be easy. Let us continue this talk about Bulbos, & particularly, A DISCUSSION ABOUT "LIFE EXPECTANCY'S" ... would anyone care to tackle that question? MANY, MANY THANKS!