NYBG's 20th Annual Orchid Show 2023
Here in New York City, one of the first signs spring is coming is the start of the annual Orchid Show at The New York Botanical Garden. I love attending this show every year. Held inside the magnificent Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, it is known as the nation’s largest exhibit of its kind.
This year, the show's theme is "Natural Heritage" designed by landscape artist, Lily Kwong. It features a wide array of colorful orchids, both popular and rare. If you’re in the area, I encourage you to visit - the show runs through April 23rd. And please watch my latest episode of "Martha Gardens," a Roku Original, when I walk through this exquisite display of stunning blooms and talk with Marc Hachadourian, the director of glasshouse horticulture and senior curator of orchids at the NYBG to review how to best care for these amazing plants at home.
Here are some photos and a short video, enjoy.
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- The Orchid Show is held in NYBG’s elegant Conservatory every year. As the nation’s largest Victorian glasshouse, it is among the grandest indoor spaces in the world.
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- In addition to the Orchid Show, this enormous glass structure is home to a tropical rain forest, a cactus-filled desert, and an ever-changing landscape of flowers and foliage.
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- This beautiful display of mixed orchids is enchanting. One walks in and is immersed in a glorious array of colorful orchid blooms. There are tens of thousands of plants. Orchids thrive in warm temperatures and moderate light. And although generally thought of as a tropical plant, orchids grow on every continent, from the Arctic Circle to the southernmost jungle, except Antarctica.
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- Among them is this Phalaenopsis Timothy Christopher x KS Snow Lip. Phalaenopsis, the moth orchid, is perhaps the best orchid for growing in the home and is a favorite with greenhouse growers. Well-grown plants can flower often, sometimes with a few flowers throughout the year, though the main season is late winter into spring. The key to growing these plants is to keep the root systems strong and healthy. These plants have no bulbs or stems to store moisture and nutrients, so it is important to maintain their roots.
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- This is Phalaenopsis Giant Lin Duo Er-Guen – a beautiful dark coral to fuchsia colored hybrid.
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- Rule of thumb – orchids that receive a proper balance of light, humidity and temperature will have healthy bright green leaves. Too little light would make the leaves very dark. The size, shape, and texture of leaves depend on the habitat. Orchids that live in dry climate have large, thick leaves covered with wax, while species that live in warm and humid areas have thin, elongated leaves. And certain species of orchids do not have leaves at all.
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- Optimum temperatures for orchids in winter are 45 to 55-degrees Fahrenheit at night and 65 to 75-degrees Fahrenheit during the day. When plants are in bud, temperatures must be as constant as possible.
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- Here’s another moth orchid, Phalaenopsis Fuller’s Gold Stripe.
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- This one is Phalaenopsis Chi Yueh Purple Smile with its beautiful white and pink-purple blooms.
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- Phalaenopsis Fuller’s Sunset is an award-winning hybrid with bright, fresh yellow flowers and a lovely contrasting pink lip.
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- This Phalaenopsis orchid shows off pristine white petals and deep pink and yellow markings.
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- Vanda orchids are fragrant and have flat petals. This is Vanda Huifen Chan “Kaleidoscope.” It features butter yellow flowers with dark chocolate spotting and a burgundy lip.
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- Vanda Yano Blue “Ploenpit” orchids have large white petals with intense violet markings.
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- Paphiopedilum orchids are often called ‘lady slippers’ or ‘slipper orchids’ because of their unique pouch-like flowers. This is Paphiopedilum Winston Churchill “Indomitable” x Hamana Freak g. ‘#1’.
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- Paphiopedilum Vanguard is a hybrid – this one with a purple pouch and yellow-green petals with dark purple spots and markings.
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- Cattlianthe Gold Digger ‘Orglade’s Mandarin’ is also a hybrid which blooms in a cluster of golden yellow flowers with a densely spotted red throat. This orchid is also quite fragrant.
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- This is called Phalaenopsis Little Gem Stripes – a wonderful orchid with white and red petals with faint pink stripes.
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- Dendrobium is a large orchid genus, with more than a thousand species. This is Dendrobium Jaquelyn Thomas ‘Uniwai Mist’ – a medium sized orchid variety with charming white blooms.
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- The NYBG also offers orchid evenings as part of the exhibit. Here is the Conservatory at sunset. Originally constructed in 1902, the steel and glass Conservatory includes an impressive 90-foot tall domed Palm Gallery. If you’re in the area, please go see NYBG’s Orchid Show. And be sure to go to the Roku Channel right now and stream “Martha Gardens.” You’ll learn so much about these exquisite plants!
If you didn't catch this on my social media platforms, here's a preview of my orchid show on "Martha Gardens" only on the Roku Channel. Be sure to tune in.
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