Bletilla striata is a small highly attractive terrestrial orchid with delicate magenta flowers and pleated sword-shaped leaves resembling the foliage of a palm seedling. It is probably the easiest of all the orchids to grow and will usually flower in its first season. Its no-fuss I-am-not-a-Diva approach to life makes Bletilla striata a great choice for someone wishing to grow their first orchid without the worry of an exacting cultivation regime. It likes an organic humus-rich but light, free-draining and friable soil and this is best achieved by the addition of some sand, bark and perlite to the mix. It is beneficial to add mycorrhizal fungi directly to the roots when planting: this will dramatically increase the biomass of the root network and the uptake of minerals. Ideally, Betilla striata should be be kept just moist throughout the growing season, benefiting from an occasional liquid feed. It does well in both full sun or partial shade and will flower in the spring and summer months over a long extended period, often flowering for a second time in late summer. As the cold weather sets in, watering should stop and it needs to be kept dry during the winter dormant months. Its leaves turn brown and eventually drop in the cold weather and if grown outdoors a thick mulch of leaves and bark will help to protect its corm-like pseudobulb. Planting in an understory of jungle or woodland plants gives extra winter protection and it is also highly successful grown in clumps in a medium-sized container where its elegant charm can be more easily appreciated. Growing it in a pot also enables you to bring it in under cover for the winter.