AboutOrchids

Welcome the 2020’s with orchids! All of January’s events are excellent opportunities to enjoy amazing flowers, take photos, talk to orchid experts, and buy plants. It’s a great recipe for a happy new year. January 4 Orchid Society of Great Britain Auction, Napier Hall, Hide Place, Westminster, London, UK January 4 Tischbewertung Hannover, Herrenhäuser Gärten, […]

Legendary American artist Georgia O’Keeffe painted extraordinary flowers, including orchids. The Winston-Salem Journal analyzes two of her portrayals of Cattleya hybrids. The first, Narcissa’s Last Orchid, 1940,  is depicted realistically. The second, An Orchid, 1941, is more abstract. Both paintings focus on the frilly flower lips. Orchid expert Arthur Chadwick ponders which varieties inspired these […]

Celebrate today’s solstice with more photos from my recent visit to Kew Gardens in London. These pictures are all from the Princess of Wales Conservatory, which is one of several large glasshouses at Kew. They include a few orchids, some brilliantly colorful bromeliads, and other tropical plants. The conservatory features separate tropical and temperate zones […]

The UK’s oldest botanical garden has plenty for orchid lovers to enjoy. Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum dates to 1621, making it older than London’s Chelsea Physic Garden (founded 1673) and Kew Gardens (founded 1759.) Oxford’s garden covers 4.5 acres (1.8 hectares,) and grows over 6000 different plant species. The garden includes seven adjacent glasshouses […]

In London’s December chill, it’s great to warm up by stepping into one of the glasshouses at Kew Gardens. I was fortunate to visit last week, and enjoyed lots of warmth and tropical beauty. These photos show some of the orchids on display in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. The vast orchid family reliably offers […]

The Sydney Morning Herald reports on saving the Sunshine Diuris, a rare and delicious Australian orchid species. Diuris fragrantissima is also known as Snow in the Paddocks. Once common in grasslands around Melbourne, this species’ tubers were a favorite food source for Aboriginal peoples. It was so plentiful that European settlers picked its flowers by […]

This is always the slowest month of the year for orchid events, but you can still find activities on several continents listed below. Many orchid societies have holiday parties and auctions, so check with your local group for more. December 3 St. Augustine Orchid Society Christmas Auction, Memorial Lutheran Church, 3375 US 1 South, St. […]