People expect beautiful flowers to smell good. The truth is, the primary role of fragrance in flowers is to attract pollinators. This is as true of orchids as it is of any other family of plants. Some of these pollinators (flies, for example) prefer very strange odors. Others don’t even have much sense of smell (birds), relying instead on visual cues to zero in on a flower. In addition, many of the artifical orchid hybrids have had the fragrance bred right out of them in the quest for ever larger more colorful blooms.

The upshot of this is that people are sometimes disappointed and even surprised by what does or doesn’t emanate from a gorgeous orchid blossom. "Catnip" and "socks" might be the verdict when someone gets a whiff of certain Oncidiums. "Nothing" might be the baffled response after a deep sniff at a stunning purple Phalaenopsis.

There is certainly no reason to stop sniffing, however. A vast number of orchids still exude the sweet, spicy fragrances that people can’t get enough of.

Cattleya, Rhyncostylis, Zygopetalum, many of the Oncidium genus, certain Cymbidiums and Miltassias - the names sound like something out of Roman military history, but the aromas are as fresh and delightful as a stroll through the Garden of Eden.

Funny footnote: If you look into the center of almost any orchid flower, you will see a small light-colored structure called the column. The column always looks to me like a human nose! It’s a silly coincidence, but it makes me laugh whenever I notice it.

It’s a shower of eye candy, an exclusive perfumery full of rare fragrances, an Aladdin’s cave of delicate. fleeting jewels. It’s Orchid Mania, again, (thank goodness!) and my favorite way to capture it before it melts away like a beautiful dream?

Ever since I got a digital camera I’ve been collecting and hoarding orchid images like a magpie, a packrat, a squirrel saving acorns. All through the year I can call them up on screen and revel in the colors, the textures, the marvelous variety of forms. And yes, sometimes even the memory of a luxurious scent will seem to float off the screen.

The anticipation of these things really does enliven the bleak February days. As if that weren’t enough, this year there is even more incentive to bring a camera along to see Orchid Mania 2010. Check out the Garden’s Orchid Mania Photography Contest, as well as the Cleveland Botanical Garden Photography Club, both new this year. And even after the show is over, look forward to a year’s worth of beautiful screensavers!

Even in the darkest days of winter - especially in the darkest days of winter- there are orchids to be found in the Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse. The past few weeks saw the annual flowering of the "Darwin Orchid," Angraecum sesquipedale (left). This immense white orchid is a native of Madgascar.

This week and for weeks to come, more and more orchids will be opening their buds in the Costa Rican biome.

This substantial Brazilian species, Oncidium ampliatum (right) , has branched flower spikes more than 2 feet long. A single plant can produce more than a hundred bright yellow flowers. 

Many of the most popular domesticated orchids bloom during the gloomy winter months - one reason why the Orchid Mania 2010 is always such a spectacular and

welcome event.

 Part II: Ornamental native plants 

 

Part one – Holiday traditions 

Of course there are evergreen trees, three species this year. Most of them are Fraser fir (Abies fraseri), one of the best, for conical shape, deep green color, great fragrance, and excellent needle retention. Best of all, the needles are blunt, so no unexpected pokes and prickles. These friendly traits are shared by the concolor fir as well. The lavishly decorated, extra tall tree featured in the Ellipse is a concolor (Abies concolor.) The third tree species, included for its pretty color is Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens var. glauca.) No one will be hugging this one, those needles are sharp!

 

Also part of the holiday decor are long blooming Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia grandiflora and Euphorbia milii hybrids.) Have fun tracing the family resemblance between all these members of a fascinating plant family. And don’t miss the appropriately named Poinsettia called ‘Winter Rose’ – a decorator’s dream of form and texture.

Posted by Ann MCCulloh

The American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) has a special place in the affections of people who like to harvest wild foods. The one-to-two-inch orange globes ripen late and remain on the trees into early winter, growing sweeter, until they finally soften enough to drop to the ground. Before ripening they are quite astringent, but at this soft stage they have a rich, aromatic flavor and texture all their own.

Native American people harvested the fruits to eat fresh or dry. There were also a number of medicinal uses for fruits and for bark. The word “persimmon” derives from the Algonquin name for this native fruit. European settlers quickly developed a fondness for it, and discovered dozens of new ways to enjoy it. I was fascinated to learn that people have made wine, beer, vinegar, and molasses from persimmons, in addition to the more predictable jams and baked goods. Persimmon pudding is a traditional holiday dessert in regions of the Southeast where persimmons are plentiful. I hope to try making persimmon leather if I manage to harvest any myself!

Persimmons belong to the same family as tropical Ebony trees. In fact, most of its relatives are tropical. The other widely known species of edible persimmon is Japanese (Diospyros kaki), which produces a larger fruit, but is less winter hardy. The American persimmon is hardy in zones 5-9, and can grow to 135 feet high in rich bottomland soil. It is more typically around 30 feet high, and can probably be controlled by pruning. Some plants in the wild may bear only male or only female flowers. Persimmon afficionados have developed a number of cultivars for larger, tastier and more reliable fruits, too.

The persimmon is just one of many beautiful and useful plants in the Western Reserve Herb Society’s Herb Garden. The photo depicts the small, very productive tree planted on the Herb Garden Terrace just outside of the big window of Clark Hall.

Like a refugee from Alice’s topsy-turvy world, the hardy cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium) seems to do everything backwards. The pale pink or white blooms appear in mid October before a fine crop of leaves that stay deep green all winter long. The plant virtually disappears in the summer, just when everything else is in full leaf and flower. It reappears to delight us every fall, in various spots around the Japanese Garden.

These delicate-seeming flowers are tough as nails. Their native range includes a large part of southern and eastern Europe, on into Turkey and Greece. They are related to the florist’s cyclamen that appear in shops in early winter, but they will actually thrive in Northeast Ohio gardens.  The fragrance is sweet and refined, a little like that of an heirloom rose. Of course it’s easier to catch a whiff when you are lying on the ground to photograph the flowers!

A reliable and long-lived perennial for shade gardens, their foremost requirement is a nice, dry summer season. Don’t forget their location when digging in the flower beds, either, because it is possible to accidentally damage the dormant plants. Cyclamen hederifolium are hardy to zone 4, and will gradually increase and spread by root and seed.

Posted by Ann McCulloh

The brilliant purple flowers of New York Ironweed (Vernonia novaboracensis) are a sure sign that summer is winding to a close. This tall, sturdy native perennial flower is said to get its nickname from the “rusty” appearance of its stems and dried flower heads, which persist into fall. It is a wonderful source of nectar for butterflies. I am sure that the Monarch butterflies I see landing on it have crossed the lake from Canada, and are fueling up for their long journey south for the winter.

When I see a new plant, I don’t really feel that I’ve made its acquaintance until I rub a leaf between my fingers, or run a hand over the bark. It is possible to experience texture through your eyes, in a limited way, of course. And sometimes that’s the only safe or acceptable way to appreciate the gorgeous variety of form and surface in the plant world. If everyone went through the  Garden touching and pinching every plant, we’d probably end up with a pretty tattered-looking mess come summer’s end. A few plants are even a little risky to handle, with sharp grassy leaves, fierce thorns or extremely sticky sap.

There are a couple of spots in the Garden, though, where guests are welcome to fondle the plants! The sensory bed in the Elizabeth and Nona Evans Restorative Garden offers a wealth of "please touch" plants for those seeking that extra dimension to their experience here. Along with the many beautiful, fragrant and tasty plants are some specially selected to communicate with your fingertips:

 What could be more inviting than a plant named "Furbee"? This cultivar of Silver Sage (Salvia argentea ‘Furbee’) is everything the name promises, and more.

 Blue borage (Borago officinalis) reminds us in a bristly, but not unpleasant way, that plants aren’t all snuggles and cuddles. Like many prickly plants, its texture provides a defense against random munching by herbivorous animals.

 Another notable texture in the plant world is provided by Purslane’s (Portulaca oleracea) soft and rubbery leaves.

There are lots of other "approachable" plants in this garden offering more variations on the theme. Come and experience plants to the fullest in this "touchy-feely" part of the Garden.

While edible plants are a theme throughout the Garden this summer, the Elizabeth and Nona Evans Restorative Garden offers a feast for all of your senses! In the design and installation of this garden, special efforts were made to include fragrant plants, touchable plants, tasty plants and even auditory effects, like the splashing of waterfalls.

This season, a stunning container display by Gardener Robin Johansen offers something delicious to devour with your eyes, too. Tucked away in a shady seating area, it’s so vibrant, it seems like you should be able to hear it before you see it! Whenever I see a really pleasing design like this one, I like to analyze the things that make it so successful.

Airy flower sprays of Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’, broad smooth Xanthorrhiza ‘Lime Zinger’ leaves and soft hair-like strands of whimsically-named “Fiber Optic Grass” create pleasing textural contrasts.