Archive for the 'Botanical Gardens' Category
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 […]
Categories: Botanical Gardens, Conservation, In the News
Comments: Comments Off on Behind the Scenes of Its 20th Orchid Show, the New York Botanical Garden Toils to Rescue Endangered Plants
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 […]
Categories: Botanical Gardens, Photos
Comments: Comments Off on More 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 […]
Categories: Botanical Gardens, Photos
Comments: Comments Off on Wonders of the San Francisco Botanical Garden
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 […]
Categories: Botanical Gardens, Conservation, In the News
Comments: Comments Off on Orchidelirium: How a Modern-Day Flower Madness Is Fueling the Illegal Trade
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 […]
Categories: Botanical Gardens, Events
Comments: Comments Off on October Orchid Events
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 […]
Categories: Botanical Gardens, Conservation, Cool Growers, In the News
Comments: Comments Off on The Power of Local Orchid Conservation
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 […]
Categories: Botanical Gardens, In the News, Misc, Photos
Comments: Comments Off on Happy 150th Birthday to Golden Gate Park
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 […]
Categories: Botanical Gardens, In the News, Misc, Photos
Comments: Comments Off on Buy First-Class Orchids at the Post Office
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 […]
Categories: Botanical Gardens, Events
Comments: Comments Off on March Orchid Events
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 […]
Categories: Botanical Gardens, Events, Growing Orchids in San Francisco
Comments: Comments Off on Pacific Orchid Expo 2020