Archive for April, 2018

Orchids with Green Flowers

Friday, April 27th, 2018

Green flowers are always a little surprising. They blend in with the leaves, but then there’s a glimpse of color, or a distinctive flower shape, and a blossom emerges into view. Of course, the vast, diverse orchid family has plenty of green flowers. This post shows just a few. Bright green, light green, yellowish green […]

Visit the Orchids of New Guinea

Sunday, April 22nd, 2018

Visit exotic jungles at the Orchids of New Guinea website. Famous as the home of Birds of Paradise, the world’s largest tropical island is also full of botanical wonders. Over 2000 species of orchids grow everywhere, from coastal forests to towering mountain ranges. Their incredible diversity is apparent in the website’s image gallery, which has […]

Take an Orchid Vacation

Sunday, April 15th, 2018

Wouldn’t it be great to take an orchid vacation? The Orchid Conservation Alliance (OCA) regularly sponsors trips to exotic lands with experts who guide orchid tours. These trips feature orchids in their native habitats, and raise money for conservation projects. Tours are limited to 15 people maximum. Future trips include Yunnan, China in May, and […]

How To Say Coelogyne

Tuesday, April 10th, 2018

Fortunately, Coelogyne orchids are easier to grow than they are to pronounce. This glorious genus of orchids originates in Southeast Asia, in a large area stretching from India and China to Indonesia, New Guinea, the Philippines, and Fiji. Many varieties have tumbling cascades of fragrant blooms. Their brilliantly-colored flower lips often feature weird ridges and […]

Vanilla Fever in Madagascar

Thursday, April 5th, 2018

South Africa’s Mail & Guardian details the problems of soaring vanilla prices in Madagascar. Vanilla is the orchid that we all love to eat, and the cost of vanilla beans has been rising for years. Droughts and cyclones have contributed to increases. But what might be a boon for the economy also brings a lot […]

April Orchid Shows

Sunday, April 1st, 2018

April is a busy month for orchids, with major events in London, Dublin, Singapore, Philly, Toronto, Capetown and many more. Of course, bigger isn’t always better. I’m guessing that the orchids & chocolate show in little La Capelle, France would be deliciously fantastic, too. April 5 – 7 London Orchid Show & Plant Fair, RHS […]