Question
Wayne,
I brought home a phalaenopsis orchid that looked healthy and had 4 blooms.
After one week the blooms have all wilted and I have cut them off. I don't
understand how they could have wilted so quickly. There is one bud and what
looks like a new stem or bud at a node.
They are in a south-facing room but it has been cloudy for the past week. I
watered and fertilized them once. The leaves are still a dark green colour.
Right now, I have a high-efficiency fluorescent light shining down on the pot
as it is still cloudy. Is my plant going to come back or have I lost it?
Thank you for any tips!!

Answer
Leah, it sounds, from your description, that your plant will be fine.  It is often difficult to tell how long a plant purchased in flower has been in flower before purchase.  For that reason, if I wish to enjoy the prospect of a fairly long bloom period, I will purchase a plant that still has a number of buds to open.  In orchids, loss of flowers is not synonymous with loss of the plant.  It is important that your plant still looks healthy and it is still possible that you could have a flower spike elongate or branch at a node and produce additional buds.

The key to maintaining a healthy plant which will bloom again is a good root system.  That is a function of many factors.  To avoid taking risks, you should obtain some fresh orchid potting mix and repot your plant and discard the old potting mix.  That will also give you a chance to rinse off the root system and check its condition.  Remove any roots that are mushy before repotting.  This is a process recommended after each flowering as old potting mix can break down and reduce the flow of air through the mix and keep the roots too wet.