AboutOrchids

With orchids in every supermarket, visiting an orchid show might seem unnecessary. However, last weekend’s Orchids in the Park proved why orchid shows are definitely worthwhile. The displays were full of unusual and exotic blooms. You won’t find these orchid varieties in a supermarket. These flowers both defy and excite the imagination. They’re great reminders […]

Don’t miss this weekend’s Orchids in the Park!  On September 28th – 29th, Golden Gate Park hosts a smaller version of San Francisco’s huge winter orchid show. The event includes plenty of orchids to enjoy, as well as vendors, demos, and seminars. The photos below are only a small sample of last year’s exciting offerings. […]

These magical gems are Pleurothallids, a large, diverse orchid family from Central and South America. They’re popular with orchid growers who enjoy their brilliant colors, fantastic shapes, and compact sizes. Many have names which seem larger than the plants themselves. Masdevallias are the best known Pleurothallids. The first row of photos below shows just a […]

Bay Area orchid lovers and other gardeners can all enjoy the upcoming San Francisco Flower & Garden Show. Running from Wednesday, March 20th to Sunday, March 24th, the event is one of the largest of its kind in the world. This year, several orchid exhibitors and vendors will ensure that orchids are well represented among the […]

There’s still one more day to catch the Pacific Orchid Expo here in San Francisco. This spectacular event runs through Sunday, February 24, and features 150,000 orchids at Fort Mason’s Festival Pavilion. Below, you’ll find just a small taste of the marvels at the country’s largest orchid show. They might make you change your Sunday […]

Prepare to be amazed at the upcoming 61st Pacific Orchid Expo. The country’s largest orchid show debuts Thursday evening with a preview gala, and is open to all from Friday through Sunday. Fitting for San Francisco, with historically strong ties to Asia, this year’s theme is “East meets West.” Below I’ve posted a few photos […]

Here on the California coast, the winter chill helps to create a perfect home for this unusual Arpophyllum. Tall spikes with small purple flowers give this species its nickname, the Hyacinth Orchid. It blooms reliably on our back deck in late autumn, and usually stays in flower for a couple months over winter. This season’s blooms […]

Since August, these charming Samurai Orchid blooms have been brightening our home. Their enchanting flowers don’t have any fragrance during the day, but when evening arrives, they produce a strong, sweet perfume which belies their small size. Native to mountainside forests in Japan, Korea, and China, these prized orchids have been cultivated for centuries in […]

As the largest and most diverse flower family, orchids abound with strange shapes, exotic designs, and brilliant colors. This month’s Orchids in the Park offered plenty of floral magic. The photos start with a large Lycaste bloom, a captivating Odont species, and an elegant fan of Cirrhopetalum flowers. Next, the twisted petals of this Maxillaria […]

Celebrate today’s change of season with these gems from last weekend’s Orchids in the Park. The annual event put on by the San Francisco Orchid Society featured a multitude of treasures. Here’s a small sample — The colors, scents, and shapes of orchids are certainly spectacular. Unexpected patterns emerge, like those of the Phal species […]