Archive for the 'Botanical Gardens' Category

Behind the Scenes of Its 20th Orchid Show, the New York Botanical Garden Toils to Rescue Endangered Plants

Tuesday, March 14th, 2023

The Guardian reports on the New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) latest big exhibition, and also its efforts to rescue endangered orchids. Behind the scenes, there are orchids salvaged from the illegal plant trade. When stolen species are confiscated by customs officials, they are sent to botanical gardens like NYBG to be saved. The plants are […]

More Wonders of the San Francisco Botanical Garden

Tuesday, June 21st, 2022

Celebrate today’s summer solstice with more photos from our recent visit to San Francisco Botanical Garden. I already blogged about three of the most amazing plants we saw, but of course, the rest of the gardens are stunning, too. There were California natives, like a gorgeous California Azalea, and giant Coast Redwood Trees. South African […]

Wonders of the San Francisco Botanical Garden

Tuesday, June 14th, 2022

San Francisco Botanical Garden, also known as Strybing Arboretum, is full of wonders. Whenever we go, Dave and I always expect to enjoy lush growth and plentiful blooms. But on a recent visit, it seems the gardens went above and beyond their usual magic. There weren’t any orchids, but we were astounded by some stunning […]

Orchidelirium: How a Modern-Day Flower Madness Is Fueling the Illegal Trade

Wednesday, October 20th, 2021

All over the world, rare plants are being stolen from the wild, and from botanical gardens. London’s legendary Kew Gardens employs security officers and cameras 24 hours a day. Its orchids, however, need extra protection. Many are displayed in locked glass cabinets to prevent theft. The rarest aren’t put out for visitors at all. Spurred […]

October Orchid Events

Thursday, October 1st, 2020

This is the first events post since March. These are virtual except for the Singapore show, which promises to follow COVID19 safety guidelines. Check with your local orchid society for more shows, meetings, talks, and sales which have gone online. October 1 – 15 San Francisco Orchid Society October Sale – Order plants online. You […]

The Power of Local Orchid Conservation

Saturday, May 16th, 2020

The Pink Lady Slipper, or Cypripedium acaule, used to grow wild in the Philadelphia area, but now is uncommon. It’s one of the most enchanting and elegant orchids native to the Eastern USA and Canada. When local plants were discovered last June, experts from nearby Longwood Gardens jumped into action. They hand-pollinated the flowers, and […]

Happy 150th Birthday to Golden Gate Park

Saturday, April 4th, 2020

Happy birthday, Golden Gate Park! It’s one of the most famous parks in the world, and it’s turning 150 years old. Formerly barren sand dunes, it’s now full of plants, animals, museums, statues, hiking trails, lakes, and meadows. It’s one of our favorite destinations. (Of course, much of it is shut down because of the […]

Buy First-Class Orchids at the Post Office

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020

You can now buy first-class orchids at the post office. The US Postal Service has just released 10 new stamps featuring wild orchids. All the species represented are native to the USA. My photos show both sides of a 20-stamp booklet and the cover image. There are nine orchid species depicted. Three Birds Orchid, Triphora […]

March Orchid Events

Saturday, February 29th, 2020

As I was preparing March’s list, some events in East Asia were being cancelled over fears about coronavirus. Most significantly, the World Orchid Conference in Taiwan has been postponed. Around the world, dozens of other events this month are continuing, as of this writing. March 1 Harrogate Orchid Society Show & Sale, The Pavilions of […]

Pacific Orchid Expo 2020

Monday, February 24th, 2020

The San Francisco Orchid Society puts on fantastic shows. This past weekend’s Pacific Orchid Expo was another great success, full of astounding blooms and friendly orchid lovers. It was also full of gasps of amazement as visitors saw how much more there is to the orchid world than standard grocery store varieties. I came home […]