Archive for the 'Botanical Gardens' Category

More Photos from the US Botanic Garden

Tuesday, July 9th, 2024

A dozen orchids in my previous post about the US Botanic Garden (USBG) were just the start. The first row of this post includes three more. There’s a great Pabstia species, and then a sunny, dangling Dendrobium. The third picture shows a very unusual orchid. Eulophia petersii is a desert species. Few orchids live in […]

Capital Orchids at the US Capitol

Sunday, June 9th, 2024

Did you know that you can find remarkable orchids only a few steps from the US Capitol? The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) sits on the National Mall, just across from Congress. It’s the oldest botanic garden in the country, and has great outdoor and indoor plant collections, including orchids. Dave and I recently visited, […]

Maui Memories and Botanical Wonders

Saturday, August 19th, 2023

Dave and I have been so fortunate to vacation in Hawaii over the years, but we’ve only been to Maui once. It was in 2005, before this old blog began. Maybe it’s a cliché to call it paradise, but it’s truly deserving of the title. These photos show a tiny fraction of the botanical wonders […]

More Photos from San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers

Saturday, July 22nd, 2023

When I said we had more photos from the Conservatory of Flowers, I wasn’t kidding. There are a lot of magnificent plants packed under that elegant metalwork and white glass. With all the lush greenery, it’s easy to miss some of the orchids, especially the miniatures. To take it in, it’s best to go slowly […]

San Francisco’s Magical Conservatory of Flowers

Saturday, June 17th, 2023

San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers is one of the many gems in Golden Gate Park. I’ve blogged about our past visits, but it had been a few years since we were there. Last week, Dave and I remedied that, and we were again in awe of their astounding collection. The glasshouse is magnificent on the […]

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 […]