Most in-person orchid events are still on hold. Even as the pandemic recedes in well-vaccinated parts of the world, it can take months to organize exhibits or auctions. With hope, they can safely return soon.
Colombia is a land of orchids, home to over 4000 native species. Cattleya trianae is the beloved national flower. Sadly, the country has suffered decades of violence and political instability. A fragile peace accord has started to heal the nation. Now, Colombians like María Luisa Hincapié and her family are hoping that orchids can help to keep the peace. They’ve been growing a “Forest of Orchids,” restoring part of a denuded tropical jungle.
When María Luisa’s family bought the land in 2001, it had been scraped clean of any vegetation. The was soil dry and impoverished due to overgrazing. Since then, her family has done the work of restoring the native vegetation of the mountainside by planting a native orchid reserve—part of their shared vision to change the story of Colombia from one of violence and destruction to one of restoration and healing. With orchids.
As they’ve replanted the forest, the area has regenerated. Insects and animals have returned. The family has propagated native orchid varieties, and returned them to the wild. Many of these orchids are endangered, facing the perils of habitat destruction, illegal trafficking, shrinking numbers of pollinators, and climate change. The Hincapiés have already saved some orchids from extinction, and discovered new species. For this family of orchid addicts, it’s a labor of love to save these magnificent flowers, and to save their country, too. As I’ve blogged about before, there are others in Colombia working towards the same goals. The hashtag #orquideasparalapaz (orchids for peace) is being used to help promote their cause.
Celebrate today’s summer solstice with photos from San Francisco’s exquisite Japanese Tea Garden. It’s the oldest public Japanese garden in the country, and one of many wonders of Golden Gate Park. Dave and I went there recently after we were fully vaccinated. We hadn’t been in years, and we really enjoyed visiting again. It features lots of greenery, lanterns, pagodas, winding paths, ponds, a Zen garden, and a tea house. There are numerous Japanese native plants, but I didn’t spot any orchids.
Wandering through the garden, there’s so much to discover. The elegant design provides alluring sights around every curve. Exquisitely maintained plants are each a work of art, with beauty in both their large forms and their small details. Somehow the old, large koi don’t get eaten by the park’s many raccoons or herons. The Drum Bridge, with its semi-circular arch, is fun to climb for kids and adults alike. Immersed in the garden’s charms, visitors may forget that the busy city is nearby.
There’s plenty of fascinating history to the Japanese Tea Garden. It began in 1894 as an exhibit in an international fair. Afterwards, it was made permanent and expanded to about 5 acres (2 hectares.) Landscape architect Makoto Hagiwara and his family were its caretakers for decades, and they lived on the grounds. Sadly, they lost their home and were interned with other Japanese Americans during World War II. Fortunately, their beloved garden continues to thrive, and is one of the park’s most popular attractions. Besides the garden, Mr. Hagiwara is famous as one of the inventors of the modern fortune cookie. The first fortune cookie presses are on display inside the gift shop (shown in the final photo.)
Eleven stories above London, the Small Flowered Tongue Orchid, Serapias parviflora, has found a home on the roof of a bank. Fifteen of the plants have bloomed on the green rooftop, which boasts 159 plant species living alongside solar panels. This is the first time that the Small Flowered Tongue Orchid has been seen in the UK since 1989. It’s more common to the south around the Mediterranean. Orchid seeds are tiny, and travel far with the wind, so they may have blown in from overseas. London’s green roofs are offering new habitats for continental arrivals.
Some orchids are tricksters. They fool pollinators into thinking they offer rewards like food, or even a mate. But not all their tricks are so devious. Cypripedium wardii, a Lady Slipper native to China and Tibet, tempts bees and hoverflies with fake pollen. This pseudopollen entices insects into visiting the blooms, where they also pick up the flowers’ real pollen. However, scientists have discovered that the pseudopollen is nutritious, and the insects eat it. Since they’re receiving benefits for their work, it’s not a ruse. It’s another one of the cunning pollination strategies in the orchid family.
My indoor orchid shelves don’t have much room to spare, so if I buy a warm grower, it’s got to be a miniature. At the 2020 Pacific Orchid Expo, I spotted this little charmer for sale. Leptotes pohlitinocoi has a name that I can’t pronounce, but this small Cattleya relative is definitely worth the shelf space.
This species is native to Brazil. Its pink and lavender flowers have a light, spicy fragrance. The skinny, pencil-like leaves indicate that it wants very bright conditions, including some full sun. Let it dry well between waterings. Despite our foggy, chilly spring, mine received enough warmth and light to bloom this year. So far, its seven flowers have lasted over six weeks.
It would be nice if mine eventually grew as large as the plant in the second to last photo, which is from Pacific Orchid Expo 2009. The final photo shows a closely related species, Leptotes bicolor, which has white petals and sepals. If you have room in your collection for a little Leptotes, they’re delightful and easy to grow.
June brings a few online and in-person events. For SF Bay Area residents, don’t miss this month’s SF Orchid Society Sale. There was a great selection of plants at last year’s sale.
Check out the video below for an expert introduction to East Asian Cymbidiums. These orchids grow differently than most others in their genus. Although they’ve been cultivated in China for thousands of years, there’s little care info available in English. The video covers their historical significance in East Asia, variations in flowers and leaves that are treasured by many growers, and cultivation needs, with calendars showing seasonal care.
Revel in spring blooms with these native wildflowers growing by the ocean near San Francisco. Mori Point is a 32 acre (13 hectare) park in Pacifica, California with stunning coastal views. It’s part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which encompasses much of Pacific coastline outside the Golden Gate. Dave and I recently took a walk at Mori Point, and despite the chilly ocean winds, there were fields of flowers to enjoy.
The windy conditions result in few trees, and short, scrubby growth. There’s little rain, but lots of moisture from fog. Over the last few years, there have been great efforts to remove invasive plants and restore natives, and the results are spectacular. These photos all show native Northern California species, including Checkerbloom, Tidy Tips, Lupines, Blue Eyed Grass, Indian Paintbrush, and California Goldfields. Many of these are available at our local garden nurseries, and easy to grow from seed on the coast. Check out Mori Point’s hiking trails and its wonderful vistas if you’re in the area.
VirtualOrchids.org is judging orchids online. It’s not quite the same as in-person judging, but it’s proving to be very worthwhile. While much of the orchid world has moved online in the past year, orchid judges must examine plants in person to give awards. With most shows still cancelled, online contests are a good alternative. No real awards are given, but there are lots of beautiful flowers and great educational opportunities. Growers submit detailed photos, videos, and measurements of their plants, and online participants assess and comment. Many are real orchid judges who have gone through years of training to hone their expertise. Anyone can enter an orchid. Everyone can learn how experts examine orchids, what qualities they look for, what resources they use, and what makes a prize-winning plant.
