So my parents had the Katie brown workshop on tv, and there was a woman with orchids and she and Katie decided that they were going to put a phalaenopsis in a beach themed planting.

This planter was a tall glass vase, no drainage holes, filled most of the way with sand, then a nearly bare rootball was placed on top of the sand and surrounded by beach glass. It looked pretty but is something that I would never do, not like that anyway.

When I voiced this opinion to my parents, they said that maybe I could learn something from this woman since she clearly knew more than I did n the subject since she was on tv. I will openly admit that I do not know everything about orchids, phals in particular as mine I feel are slowly fading. I also want to note that they said that orchids don't need much soil, which is an understatement. Soil (with a few exceptions) equals death for orchids.

My question is: would any of you plant in sand? I feel that air circulation would be the biggest problem.

My warning is this : after having recently work in home decor using live plants, I'll tell you that my boss knows nothing about them. My opinion and that of garden centre employees was what she relies upon to make decisions. With home decor, plant health is not always a consideration.

Please try to not rely on the advice of the people you you see on tv. Look at context. If you're watching a home decor show, maybe don't take their advice on plants to the letter, though in fairness, I've seen some not great orchid advice on gardening shows as well. They seem to consult people at local botanical societies instead of talking to growers and societies specializing in orchids.