Hi Steve,

Dead-heading the flowers etc in the garden is like housework, the minute you think you have finished it, it's  time to start again.  

Anyway, regarding your orchids, I have indoor ones that are in the window and appear to flourish as long as I protect them from direct sunlight.  I tried them in the shadier part of the room and they didn't like it.  So whether outdoor ones are the same I don't know, but I've just looked up 'Growing Orchids Outdoors' on the internet and it appears that where you plant them is governed by the variety you have, and also if the temperature drops below 60% you take them indoors. Hope that helps.

This gardening lark is a minefield, hence the reason I'm not a great lover of doing it!