I picked up this mini orchid on clearance at Walmart for $4 back in mid-April. It was out in full sun and was very dry so the leaves are a bit funky, but it's held onto all of its blooms since I brought it home.
Tonight I put it in a cloche since regulating moisture can be more challenging on mini's. I'm planning to get a pretty plate for it to sit on instead of this plastic drip pan.
UPDATE: 5/11/2022, Eight blooms open (out of 13 buds)
I didn't stake the spike enough. I underestimated how tall it would get, so it arched over in a way that didn't best present the flowers. I ended up using an adjustable ribbon at the top so I could slowly lift the spike a bit each day, and that has worked really well... plus, I think it's kind of pretty!
UPDATE: 5/1/2022
Four blooms open now!
First bud starting to open, 4 months after spike first started forming.
UPDATE: 3/26/2022:
Also, I got this pale yellow orchid yesterday at Walmart for $15!
UPDATE 2/19/2022:
1/9/2022: My orchid started putting out a bloom spike which I first noticed about a week before Christmas!
This will be the first time it has bloomed since I received it almost two years ago. I re-potted it in August of 2020 into a larger pot, and I've been fertilizing it 2x a year with a slow-release fertilizer.
Pictures from re-potting in August 2020:
