AboutOrchids

What does it look like when you put 150,000 orchids under one roof? Well, it looks like the Pacific Orchid Expo, and it’s pretty amazing. Dave and I are just starting to sort through our photos, and here are some of the highlights I’ve found so far. By the time we’ve seen all the orchid […]

Enjoy these extended orchid exhibits, in addition the ones I’ve already listed here, here, and here. February 27 – April 17 The Smithsonian Gardens and the United States Botanic Garden feature Orchids in Focus in Washington DC. Enjoy orchids from their esteemed plant collections, which will be on display in the Conservatory Garden Court and […]

The Pacific Orchid Expo arrives next weekend in San Francisco. It’s open at Fort Mason from Friday, February 26th until Sunday, February 28th. Don’t miss the largest orchid show in the USA, boasting tens of thousands of spectacular flowers. These photos from last year’s show are just a small taste of the treasures you’ll find. […]

Dave and I first enjoyed a visit to Vallarta Botanical Garden five years ago. We had the privilege to return earlier this month, and we were once again thrilled by the superb gardens and plentiful orchids. I’ll start with a post dedicated to their orchids, but be sure the check back soon for more flora […]

Some Epipactis orchids get their pollinators a little drunk. They’re European relatives of the native North American Epipactis I’ve grown, and their nectar contains narcotics. Visiting wasps become sluggish, and spend extra time on the flowers, improving the odds for pollination.

Exquisite! Breathtaking! Romantic! Your valentine orchid is surely an incredible beauty. But now that you have it, what do you do with it?  Check the orchid care tips below to keep your gift thriving. What kind is it? –  Identify your orchid to learn more about its care needs. You don’t need to find its […]

Check for previously listed orchid exhibitions at this earlier post and this one, too. February 13 – March 13 In England, the Orchid Festival at Cambridge University Botanic Garden will feature the Orchid Hunters. The event will focus on the adventures and misadventures of European explorers who brought orchids back from the tropics over a […]

As the Year of the Monkey arrives, I’m certainly not the first to make the connection with Monkey Orchids. It’s easy to see how these Draculas have earned the Spanish nicknames orquídea mono (monkey orchid) and orquídea cara de mono (monkey face orchid) in their native South American homes. There’s a monkey face in the […]

Ghost Orchids are making a comeback in South Florida. These beautiful, rare, leafless orchids are being saved through intensive conservation efforts by scientists who cultivate seeds in the lab, and then return the plants to the wild.