AboutOrchids

Even if it seems that Dave is on a whirlwind tour of the planet’s botanical gardens, that’s not really the case. He’s just traveling a lot for work, and he’s taking advantage of chances to sightsee. Last week, after a conference in Canada, he was able to enjoy one of the most impressive gardens in the world, the Montreal Botanical Garden. Spread out over 185 acres (75 hectares,) it boasts 22,000 plant varieties, over 20 thematic gardens, and 10 connected greenhouses. The Orchids and Aroids Greenhouse holds most of the orchids.

I’m really amazed with the garden’s remarkable range of unusual orchid species and hybrids. Many rare varieties were on display, providing a great demonstration of the orchid family’s diversity. It’s not everyday you see Gongora, Scuticaria, and Grammangis species in bloom.

Besides the Orchids and Aroids Greenhouse, Dave also found orchids in the Tropical Rainforest Greenhouse, and vanilla vines in the Tropical Food Plants Greenhouse.

The Montreal Botanical Garden grows a lot more than orchids. There’s an alpine garden, shade garden, Chinese garden, Japanese garden, First Nations garden, lilac garden, and so much more. Check back soon for additional photos from Montreal.

McBean’s Orchids has won a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show once again. It’s a welcome victory, especially since the venerable, 137-year-old British nursery almost went out of business recently. The Chelsea Flower Show runs through May 28th.

When you think of Zygo orchids, think purple. Zygos are known for brilliant purple hues, rich scents, and long-lasting flowers. Alongside all that purple, their showy blooms include green, white, and maroon. These photos show just of few of the growing number of Zygo varieties, with many new hybrids on the market. The species are native to South American rainforests in Brazil, Argentina, and Peru.

Zygo is short for Zygopetalum. To pronounce it, say “zai go” to rhyme with “I go.” Some varieties are warm growers, but there are also cool growers which are perfectly suited for the Northern California coast. They grow in conditions similar to Cymbidiums, but don’t need as much sun. These cool growers enjoy morning sun, regular water, and regular fertilizer, and then a drier winter dormancy. They prefer deep pots where their large root systems can expand. The third photo in the row above shows the plant I’ve grown successfully outdoors for years, Zygopetalum BG White ‘Stonehurst’. Its powerfully fragrant flowers last for months, and it reliably blooms twice a year. (The other Zygo photos are from orchid shows and greenhouse visits.)

Zygos can be susceptible to botrytis, a type of fungal infection which leads to black leaf spots. The Zygos can thrive and bloom anyway. High humidity and good air flow will minimize the effects.

If you love purple, you’ll love Zygos. They’ll fill your garden with color and fragrance.

The International Phalaenopsis Alliance (IPA) is all about the appreciation, cultivation, and conservation of Moth Orchids. IPA members receive the beautiful Phalaenopsis quarterly journal, full of Moth Orchid news and photos. Members also enjoy informative newsletters, national and regional meetings, and lots of opportunities to learn from experts. As part of its conservation efforts, the IPA supports the Phal species collection at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. To support the IPA, you can join for as little as US$5 yearly.

It’s a common belief that all orchids are delicate and fragile, unable to adapt to any adverse conditions. A few orchids may fit that description, but many others are tough as nails. This magnificent yellow Masdevallia fits into the “tough as nails” category. Despite any flimsy appearances, these big, brilliant flowers can withstand strong winds.

I bought this beauty last year at the gift shop of the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley. It’s lived outdoors at our home in Pacifica ever since. With sunny, yellow 4 inch (10.1 cm) blooms at the top of 2 foot (61 cm) tall flower stems, it’s a real standout. It looks so delicate, but these flowers defy strong winds coming off the ocean. I keep the plant next to a wall in a sheltered spot, but it still endures occasional 50 mph (80 km/h) wind gusts. It also endures a steady assault of old blossoms and leaves raining down from a nearby camellia tree. After a month, the flowers are starting to look beaten up, but I’m just amazed that they’re standing at all.

While it would be impossible for many orchid growers to keep these outdoors, here on the Northern California coast, it’s a piece of cake. This species, Masdevallia coccinea, is native to the Andes, where it lives in cool, breezy, moist conditions. I keep it shaded from direct sun, and water it daily. Our cool, foggy weather seems to provide a great substitute for its native home. This Masdevallia is a beautiful addition to our garden, and a testament to how tough orchids can be.

Identifying your Mother’s Day orchid is an important part of basic orchid care. Since Moth Orchids are the most popular varieties, they’re the best place to start. It’s likely that your gift is a Moth Orchid, or Phal, like those in the first row of photos below. This is only a small sampling of countless Moth Orchid colors, patterns, and sizes. They come in many hues, including whites, pinks, yellows, reds, and purples.

Lady Slippers, shown in the next row of photos, are also favorite gift orchids. Their distinctive, pouch-shaped flower lips make them easy to identify. Their colors include whites, pinks, greens, reds, and yellows.

Cattleyas, such as the next photo below, are popular corsage flowers, and often have sweet scents.

Cymbidiums, shown in the middle picture, come in reds, whites, pinks, yellows, greens, and browns.

Dendrobiums, like the last photo of this row, are a diverse group of orchids. Den Phals are the most common types.

Epidendrums, like the first picture in the next row, come in reds, yellows, oranges, pinks, greens, purples, and whites.

Miltoniopsis earn their nickname Pansy Orchid from their resemblance to pansy flowers.

Oncidiums, shown in the final photo, are also known as Dancing Lady Orchids. Their sprays of small flowers seem to sway together in a breeze.

In New York’s Adirondack Mountains, millions of native orchids are flourishing near an old iron mine. The wetland area is now home to local orchids like Grass Pinks, Rose Pogonias, and Ladies’ Tresses. Since the mine closed in 1978, the site has recovered to become the perfect home for six native New York orchid species and other rare plants, too.

The universal appeal of orchids is obvious with so many shows around the world. Many are perfectly timed for Mother’s Day presents and celebrations. Take advantage of any shows nearby to immerse yourself in incredible flowers.

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Dave’s work travels gave him another opportunity to find orchids in Switzerland. He really hit the jackpot a couple weeks ago at the Botanical Garden of the University of Zurich. The garden houses 9000 plant species over 13 acres (5.3 hectares,) with orchids featured in three tropical greenhouses. In addition, there are Mediterranean, alpine, native meadow, and carnivorous plant sections, and much more.

It was a real treat for Dave to discover vanilla orchids in bloom. We’ve seen countless vanilla vines in glasshouses and travels to the tropics, but the flowers are much harder to find. They’re open for less than a day, and often tough to photograph, since they’re high up on the vines. He was lucky to catch the beautiful vanilla flowers in the next row of photos. With orchid blooms and much more, the Botanical Garden of the University of Zurich brings the tropics to Switzerland.

Gaia Amazonas is a remarkable Colombian conservation organization. Created to protect the biological and cultural diversity of the Amazon, Gaia Amazonas has helped return over 100,000 square miles (26 million square kilometers) of Colombian rainforest back to the control of its native peoples. That’s an area larger than the UK!  Alongside the traditional knowledge and sustainable practices of indigenous peoples, the group helps conserve huge tracts of the Amazon Rainforest, including countless orchids. Founded in 1990 by Martín von Hildebrand, Gaia Amazonas is trying to expand its amazing success into Brazil and Venezuela. You can help support the group by donating and sharing its message of empowering native peoples to care for the rainforest.