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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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