As we begin May, I’ll repeat that if any orchid shows are still happening, you shouldn’t go. I don’t know when big public events will be safe, but it’s still too soon. COVID19 is not contained, and the risks are too great. Orchid shows can wait. So what to do in the meantime? There’s certainly […]
Orchids have lovely lips. The lip, or labellum, is one of the defining parts of an orchid flower. This modified petal can be the most elaborate part of the bloom. It may be a landing pad, or even a temporary trap, for pollinating insects. It’s usually at the bottom of the flower, but since orchids […]
Even if you can’t visit Ireland to see the remarkable orchid paintings of Glasnevin, you can still enjoy some of them online. Located in Dublin, the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin holds over 2,500 orchid works. Most depict the garden’s own orchids, and were done by two skilled botanical artists, Lydia Shackleton and Alice Jacob. Contact […]
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 […]
Today is a spring equinox like no other. In the San Francisco Bay Area, we have been sheltering at home for several days now as COVID-19 spreads. Dave and I are fine, and our two cats are getting spoiled since we’re home most of the time. Only essential businesses are still open. Roads that are […]
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 […]
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 […]
The modern vanilla industry owes its existence to a young enslaved African, Edmond Albius. Vanilla vines had been imported from Mexican jungles to the tiny French colony of Réunion, in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar. But without their Mexican bee pollinators, nobody could figure out how to produce vanilla beans. In 1841, Edmond Albius, then […]
Want to live longer? Try gardening! Many of the world’s oldest living people are gardeners. In Earth’s “blue zones” where people live the longest, many of them garden into their 80’s and 90’s. Of course, fresh air and exercise are very beneficial, and homegrown fruits and vegetables can improve diets, too. Scientific studies have shown […]
Find hybrid orchid family trees at OrchidRoots.com. This website compiles information about orchid species, hybrids, and hybrid parents. Searches can be done by looking for a named variety or browsing through genus lists. Hybridizers used to need to consult multiple volumes of The Sanders List of Orchid Hybrids for this data, until paid software offered […]
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