Selby Gardens is featured weekly on ABC7 News at Noon. Tune in Thursdays to see more informative segments like this one.
Orchids are one of the most alluring flowering plants worldwide. Throughout the last four decades, Selby Gardens has amassed the best scientifically-documented collection of orchids in the world – one of the main plant species studied by our botanists. During the next six weeks The Orchid Show at Selby Gardens celebrates this special plant that inspires many worldwide.
This show celebrates the amazing array of orchid shapes, colors and scents. Walking through the conservatory is a feast for the senses. Included among the large swaths of commercially-grown plants are orchids from Selby Gardens’ permanent collection, many of which were collected in the wild from around the world. The orchid family, or Orchidaceae, is one of the largest families of flowering plants and there are more than 27,000 species. Some common types on display include the Cattleya, Dendrobium, Oncidium, paphipedilum, Phalaenopsis and Vanda orchids.
Approximately 70% of orchids are epiphytes, or plants that have evolved to grow upon other plaints in order to take advantage of brighter light available in the upper forest canopy. As epiphytes orchids can grow with little or no soil, which allows us to display them in unique and creative ways, such as this aerial display style called “Kokedama.” This gardening trend is akin to bonsai where creative gardeners transform their plants into hanging sculptural objects.
Other unique displays that take advantage of the orchid’s ability to grow in the air include the gold and orange flowers of the Oncidium orchids, poetically named “Golden Lady Dancers,” which are perched along the lava rock wall. Nearby we’ve created a fiery sculpture garden of metallic trees that hoist red and yellow orchids into the air.
Anyone interested in learning more about orchids can take part in lectures and classes throughout the run of The Orchid Show, which continues until March 27. There are also after hours, nighttime events called Orchid Evenings here in the conservatory every Wednesday night. For a full list of opportunities, visit www.selby.org. Thanks for joining us – we look forward to seeing you at the Orchid Show in the Gardens!
The post The Orchid Show: Celebrating 40 Years at Selby Gardens appeared first on Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.