Archive for the 'Photos' Category
Friday, September 22nd, 2023
The seasons cycle on as fall arrives today in the northern hemisphere. Autumnal orchid colors include the reds, yellows, oranges, purples, and browns of falling leaves, along with the blues of a crisp, clear sky. These photos are from last winter’s Pacific Orchid Expo in San Francisco. Happy equinox.
Categories: Photos
Comments: Be the first to comment
Sunday, September 10th, 2023
This summer’s Orchids in the Park event filled Golden Gate Park with truly extraordinary flowers. My first post simply scratched the surface. Here are more photos, featuring the species, the hybrids, the latest trends, and the classics. It’s tough to pick favorites, but since I’ve grown Masdevallia chaparensis at home for many years, it’s already […]
Categories: Photos
Comments: Comments Off on More Photos from Orchids in the Park
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 […]
Categories: Botanical Gardens, Photos
Comments: Comments Off on Maui Memories and Botanical Wonders
Sunday, August 6th, 2023
Last weekend’s Orchids in the Park event was impressive as always. Even though it was smaller than San Francisco’s main winter expo, there was plenty to enjoy. For myself, having grown orchids for over three decades, it’s exciting to find something I’ve never seen before. The final photo in the third row shows a species […]
Categories: Photos
Comments: Comments Off on Photos from Orchids in the Park 2023
Wednesday, July 26th, 2023
The San Francisco Orchid Society presents Orchids in the Park this Saturday and Sunday, July 29th-30th. The event happens at the SF County Fair Building, 1199 9th Avenue near Lincoln Way, in Golden Gate Park. In addition to amazing orchids, there will be great vendors, hands-on demos, expert growing advice, kids’ activities, and conservation info. […]
Categories: Events, Growing Orchids in San Francisco, Photos
Comments: Comments Off on Don’t Miss Orchids in the Park This Weekend
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 […]
Categories: Botanical Gardens, Photos
Comments: Comments Off on More Photos from San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers
Friday, July 7th, 2023
It only takes one look at this orchid to understand why it’s nicknamed the King of the Masdevallias, and is considered a national treasure of Peru. I bought this plant at last winter’s Pacific Orchid Expo, and was thrilled when it recently opened its first bloom, a brilliant orange flower with tiny purple hairs which […]
Categories: Cool Growers, Growing, Photos, Watering
Comments: Comments Off on A Legendary Masdevallia Orchid
Tuesday, June 27th, 2023
Florida’s rare and fascinating Ghost Orchid features in a best-selling book and an Oscar-winning movie starring Meryl Streep and Nicolas Cage. But somehow it’s still not listed as an official endangered species in the USA. A lawsuit by three conservation groups aims to fix that. George Gann, executive director of the Institute for Regional Conservation, […]
Categories: Conservation, In the News, Photos
Comments: Comments Off on Lawsuit Launched to Speed Endangered Species Protection for Ghost Orchid
Wednesday, June 21st, 2023
The warm and sunny colors of these Coral Roots Orchids are a perfect way to welcome the first day of summer. Coral Roots, or Corallorhizas, are strange, leafless orchids. They live underground except when they flower. With no chlorophyll, they instead take nourishment from fungi in the soil. The wild orchids in these photos are […]
Categories: Cool Growers, Orchids in the Wild, Photos
Comments: Comments Off on These Coral Root Orchids Are Welcoming Summer
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 […]
Categories: Botanical Gardens, Photos
Comments: Comments Off on San Francisco’s Magical Conservatory of Flowers