My orchids were all under lights in the basement.
Well grown Phalaenopsis orchids can bloom continuously, year round. Seedling Phalaenopsis will normally bloom in spring through summer. But once your Phalaenopsis plant is mature enough, usually 4 pairs or more of leaves (8 or more leaves) they switch to a more continuous mode of blooming. My mother's Phal. Baldan's Kaleidoscope continuously had at least one or more flowers open for a 5 year stretch.
It does not require many plants to always have at least one orchid blooming. Trick is to buy mature plants, that will rebloom without a lot of time. Orchids sold in big box stores are usually first bloom seedlings. They often require 2 or 3 years to build enough energy to bloom a second time. The bigger, the older the plant, the more energy for re-blooming. So it does take time to build an everblooming collection.
But if you choose your specimens well, you can have an orchid or more in bloom year round with as few as 10 plants. Phalaenopsis are good. Psychopsis with their long lived inflorescences, are good. The Cochlopetalum group of Paphiopedilum have flower stems that will keep producing blooms, one at a time for as much as 5 or 6 years.
Other orchids have incredibly long lasting flowers. For example the Latuouia section of Dendrobium. Individual flowers will stay fresh looking for 6 months. Some Paphiopedilum (Paphs) have flowers that last 3 or 4 months. Paphs don't rebloom very often, but when they do, the flowers last.
So with just a dozen plants you could have a constant flower show going for yourself and your wife's enjoyment.
