For an Immersive Bloom Experience, Get Thee to an Orchid Show
Last week I went to Allure, an orchid exhibition at the New England Botanical Garden in Boylston, MA. It featured two large rooms with thousands of orchids—phalaenopsis, dendrobrium, cattleya, oncidium, and many more—arranged vertically and overhead, as well as on the floor nestled in among other plants. Like most greenhouses, the air was warm and humid, the sunlight plentiful but filtered, and fans kept a constant airflow.
I consider going to my favorite plant nursery to be a form of therapy, so going somewhere I can walk amongst thousands of orchids is like going on an entire wellness retreat.
Orchids of all different species, shapes, sizes, and colors emerge everywhere, growing on trellises and arches and fences, their aerial roots poking through sphagnum and Spanish moss. They’re all colorful and beautiful, but some are also downright bizarre, with petals spiky like alien wasps, or pitcher-shaped like gaping mouths. To be so outnumbered by them produces a feeling that dwarfs the awe I experience when I see a single orchid in bloom.
There are also orchid shows, which I highly recommend. Those typically last for only a weekend (an exhibition usually lasts for weeks or even months) and prizes are awarded, like in art shows or dog shows. I’ve attended Massachusetts Orchid Society shows in the past—and I’ve bought a few orchids there, too. The variety of orchids was greater at the MOS show, as cultivators and sellers can bring rare and sensitive orchids to a location for a weekend, but not for weeks or months—only hardier orchids can handle that.
Orchid shows and exhibitions, like orchids themselves, aren’t rare. In fact, given the popularity of orchids, the U.S. and the world are packed with events celebrating these flowers. It’s well worth casing out an orchid show and putting it on your calendar.
Here are a few links to orchid exhibitions and shows (in case you’re travelling or know anyone who lives in any of these spots). Most of them take place every year:
The American Orchid Society has a list of orchid shows, festivals, and exhibits around the country
U.S. Botanic Garden & Smithsonian Gardens “Discover the World of Orchids”
My bucket list orchid exhibition: National Orchid Garden at the Singapore Botanical Garden
Becoming a member of the Massachusetts Orchid Society is cheap ($20-$25 a year), and gives you access to monthly newsletters with orchid tips, as well as regular lectures and tutorials on various aspects of orchid care, such as repotting, mounting on wood, and propagating. The biggest benefit to joining such a society is that you’re constantly immersed in orchid information and in a community with other orchid enthusiasts—if not immersed in the flowers themselves.
