(OMG) Where to start? Also, a question about a wild (Alaskan) orchid

[jess_hawk]

Hello!
I'm a complete newbie, and as a disclaimer have little experience keeping plants - my living arrangements have never really been conducive to healthy plants. I had a cactus named Luke once who flourished in my window until I took him home when I went to Australia for six months. My mom thinks "cactus" means "Does not need water..." no matter what I tell her.
Anyway, I became fascinated by orchids when I took a trip to Ecuador to study tropical biology (I'm a biology major in my last semester of undergrad study). We stopped at two orchid gardens and were able to see the fascinating variety of these flowers are available. It's the specialization that caught my primarily-zoology-oriented attention.
Two summers later, I was able to spend the summer in the Tongass NF, working on Prince of Wales Island (I'm Iowan). I was a cave guide, but I was in charge of all biological knowledge, and that meant plants. Walking through a muskeg and carefully observing the plants at my feet (things just don't grow big in muskegs), I suddenly realized that the morphology of those little flowers looked familiar. I stopped and bent down, and was rewarded with an amazing spicy scent. This little beauty is the white bog orchid, Platanthera dilatata, and I was in luck - they grew all over! A fascinating variety of other orchids was available for inspection by the observant, including one incredibly confounding specimen that I wish I could identify (I have photos if anyone is familiar with wild Alaskan orchids).

So this is my introduction as I begin learning about how to successfully keep orchids. I'm interested in mini varieties, some of which captured my imagination in Ecuador, but here is my question about the white bog orchid:
Is this species cultivated at all? Can it be obtained and maintained? Being a muskeg species, I imagine that they require very specific soil composition, but perhaps someone more experienced has been captivated by the scent also. If so, I want to know all there is to know about this species, in addition to learning more general techniques.

Thank you all!

[lambelkip]

welcome to the board.
The currently accepted name for that plant is Habenaria dilatata. it's not very common in cultivation, but you can occasionally find them on e-bay. there are several species of Habenaria which are popular in bog gardens, but I don't think any of them have the same fragrance as dilatata. As for the other orchid, post some pics, and we'll try to identify it for you.

[jess_hawk]

Thank you!
No wonder google searches were turning up very little on Platanthera. I'll try searching Habenaria.
Photos of the other orchid are on my other computer... I'll start up the dinosaur and if I'm lucky I'll be able to post some time in the next couple of weeks... haha.

[ronaldhanko]

Here's a link to a photo of Habenaria dilatata that I photographed in Yellowstone last summer.

Habenaria dilatata on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[jess_hawk]

Yep, that's the one! Lovely, aren't they? I didn't know how widespread they were - I've traveled most of the country, but with my family... and they get bored too quick for me to go chasing flowers and birds!
I'll try to get the photo of the unknown one up later tonight.

[jess_hawk]

IDK if anyone is looking here - thought I'd mention that I posted the photos of my unknown in the ID area.

Thanks!