Orchids in Decorating

I grew up surrounded by flower gardens. My mother and great grandmother loved flowers and we have several wonderful varieties that have been passed down, generation to generation. Some of my favorite times with my Mother are spent walking her gardens, talking about her flowers, and discussing the family history. It feels like it has been a long winter here in Cleveland and I am really missing a good walk and talk with my Mom. It is food for the soul.

My Great Grandmother - Mrs. Bertie Frazier, gardener extraordanaire

Friday we had a glimpse of spring and I was ready to see some flowers with Mom. The temperature was sixty degrees and the sun was shinning. It was a perfect day to be out and about, and a perfect day to visit the two local orchid shows here in Cleveland.

The first display that my Mother and I visited was at Cleveland’s Rockefeller Greenhouse. The wonderful gardens, fountains, and flowers delighted us (see image above). They have a lovely orchid show, and we eagerly enjoyed the first breath of spring. We spotted tulips peeking up from the outside beds. Yeah!!! Spring is here!!!

Our second stop took us to the Cleveland Botanical Garden where they are currently hosting a show appropriately called “Orchid Mania.” This year’s show is excellent and I suggest if you are in the area, plan to visit the garden and inhale the beauty. It is delightful!

Orchids are such fascinating and amazing plants. There are over 100,000 hybrid varieties. The history of the orchid dates back to Greek times and owning and cultivating orchids have gone in and out of fashion. Today orchids are seen as a luxury, and are a thing of grace and beauty. Their unique shapes, colors, designs, and scents always astound me. Some varieties are extremely rare, as is the ghost orchid, pictured above, and then there are the more common varieties, pictured below. The rare Ghost Orchid is the subject of a book, The Orchid Thief, and a movie, Adaptation. Very interesting information and I enjoyed the movie (who wouldn’t love a movie with Nicolas Cage and orchids).



More about the elusive Ghost Orchid...

I believe that orchids make a wonderful accent point when added to a room. The wide range of shapes and colors makes selecting the right specimen interesting and fun. That’s design – interesting and fun. A beautiful orchid in just the right spot - makes the room!!

(Room at left by David Jemenez)

I have included some photos from this year’s orchid show. I will not attempt to name them all for fear I mis-label - feel free to post the name if you would like. Hope that you enjoy them and I hope that you have the opportunity to visit our Botanical Garden. I had not even left the garden and I was already plotting my return.


PS – please let me know your favorite!

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Archways with an abundance of orchids and the most wonderfull scent!

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