Monday was a day off work for me (President's Day) so as I did on the last minor holiday from work, I chose to visit the Missouri Botanical Garden. My plan was to hang out in the Climatron primarily, but I had forgotten that the Orchid Show was going on right now. So I headed into that room first, not knowing exactly what to expect.
You see, I don't grow orchids and never have. I don't know much about them either, although I've heard that many of them are delightfully fragrant with a single bloom filling a room with scent. I can confirm this now: the first thing I noticed when walking into the display room was the sweetness in the air -- 800 orchids will perfume even a large room!
Today rather than talk about a plant family that I know very little about, I'll just post the photos. I was amazed at the variety of the blooms -- colors, sizes, shapes, patterns, and even some great foliage in a few cases. So if you like orchids or blooms or colors, enjoy.
I should point out that most of the orchids were clearly labeled and I took photos of the tags so I could put together a nice little reference here. I did miss a couple of tags though, or the tags were missing from the plants. Oh, and in no way did I photograph every single orchid that was on display -- I only had a single day off you know.
(I've decided to break these photos into two posts, so here's part one.)
 |
| Sophrolaelicocattleya Tutankanem 'Pop' |
 |
| Sophrolaelicocattleya Ginny Champion 'Riverbend' |
 |
| Unknown |
 |
| Bakerara Everglades Hunter 'Swamp Buggy' |
 |
| Paphiopedilum Camelu |
 |
| Tolumnia velutina |
 |
| Epidendrum ciliare var. squamatum |
 |
| Oncidium sphacelatum x Onc. reflexum |
 |
| Cymbidium Mini Beacon 'Red Torch' |
 |
| Paphiopedilum villosum |
 |
| Beallara Purple Passion |
 |
| Cymbidium Mini Beacon 'Red Torch' |
 |
| Trichocentrum splendidum |
 |
| Cymbidium Yowie Flame |
 |
| Tolumnia Golden Sunset |
If you haven't yet, I highly suggest clicking on any one of these images and viewing all of them full-sized. If you're looking at this post in a reader that doesn't allow that, you may want to visit this site in your browser so you can view the images at a more impressive size.
Also, if you happen to know what the unlabeled orchids are, please let me know.
More tomorrow!
.
Great shots, thanks for sharing!
I think I like "Cymbidium Yowie Flame" the most. Orchids are just too fussy for me to grow, but I do love looking at them ... thanks for sharing your lovely photographs!
Thanks for taking us along on your day off, Alan. Just beautiful! Too bad we don't have the technology for smell on our computers!
Weird plants. Weirdly beautiful. Quite frightening. Like aliens.
Wow, what stunning photos! Like you, I'm an orchid agnostic. My wife has four or five, and I admire them when they're in bloom, but I don't take care of them.
Speaking of orchids, I can highly recommend a book called Orchid Fever: A Horticultural Tale of Love, Lust, and Lunacy by Eric Hansen. It's a riveting book about orchid collectors and growers. It reads like a thriller, and once you start, you can't stop.
I do like orchids but am not verysuccessful with the. Probably could try harder as it used to say on my old school reports. Where you tempted to try one or two,Alan?
They are beautiful and your compositions moreso, but i wonder why there is not any Vanda or Phalaenopsis at all. Our orchid show here will start this weekend, and I am already excited to visit.
From what I've heard, they like bright light and humidity. I've tried it before, but was unable to get it to sprout again, maybe because it got too much full sun last winter, but I'm trying again to see if it works. They are supposed to bloom twice a year.
Outstanding photos!
Thank you
Janet: Not really tempted to try one. Someday I suspect I will, but not now.
Andrea: Phalaenopsis in tomorrow's post. I didn't photograph any Vanda, but they may have been there. As I said, I skipped more than I shot.