All this week, we are busy preparing for our fifth annual orchid show - Orchid Mania: The Seductive Orchid. We have a different theme every year, and this year I took my inspiration from a book titled Orchid Fever: A Horticultural Tale and Love, Lust, and Lunacy by Eric Hansen. It’s a fabulous book that details how the world of orchid fanciers is a strange, wonderful and sometimes sinister place. We will have some of the orchids that Hansen mentions here at the Garden from Saturday, Feb. 9 - Sunday, March 9. This is not your typical orchid show. You’ll see orchids that you’ve never seen before, like the 12-inch long petals of Paphiopedilums (slipper orchids) and the glittering leaves of Jewel orchids. We will be showcasing orchids that have different fragrances. Some of my personal favorites are the Zygopetalums (see picture). They have a very unique, spicy scent that is just intoxicating!

Posted by Cynthia Druckenbrod