The New York Botanical Garden
www.nybg.org
The 7th Annual Orchid Show: Brazilian Modern
(Orchid Show Website)
(Shop in the Garden Website)
Through April 12, 2009

VP for Communications, Karl F. Lauby
Assoc. VP for Marketing: Marisa Biehl

Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower
March 21, 2009

(See the August 2008 New York Botanical Garden Tour / “Moore in America” Monumental Sculptures)

(See the December 2008 New York Botanical Garden Train Show)

(Click Here for Orchid Show Photos Batch #1)
(Click Here for Orchid Show Photos Batch #2)
(Click Here for Shop in the Garden Photos)


The New York Botanical Garden is now presenting a tropical retreat, its 7th Annual Orchid Show, called Brazilian Modern, in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. I chose the first day of Spring 2009 to visit the show, and the weather was perfect, as it’s sunny and warm in the Conservatory, and thankfully a light coat was suitable for both indoors and outdoors today. Raymond Jungles, a Miami-Based landscape architect, organized the orchids with an original Roberto Burle Marx mosaic, composed of 1,325 painted ceramic tiles in a 1991 work. The mosaic reaches 17 feet high and 8 feet wide, and it’s positioned in the reflecting pool along with the Botanical Garden’s extensive and expansive palm trees. Mr. Marx is considered to be “the father of modern landscape architecture in the Americas” (Press Notes).

The Brazilian landscapes were also inspired by Mr. Marx, with brilliantly colored orchid arrangements, dripping like candelabras, clinging to walls, intertwining with ferns and cacti, and reflecting in pools and fountains. There are benches and paths surrounded by orchids, and The Botanical Garden has organized the entire series of Conservatory pathways, so that visitors are led through winding walkways, which bring them, in the final space, to a perfumed, nurturing expanse of ceiling to floor, wall to wall, orchids. On February 28, Mr. Jungles was present for a lecture on orchid species and designs of natural habitats. The Shop in the Garden carries Mr. Jungles book, Colors of Nature: Subtropical Gardens of Raymond Jungles.

The Botanical Garden’s Orchid Show also offers workshops, gardening demonstrations, a children’s program, in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, called “Chocolate and Vanilla Adventures” (where children learn about vanilla coming from an orchid plant’s seedpod), and a continuing education program for orchid design, gardening, and botanical art. In addition, The Botanical Garden is continuing its ongoing exhibits, such as A World of Plants, in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, in collaboration with The Ross Gallery, Docent Tours, such as Bird Walks, Garden Tours, Orchid Show Tours, Forest Tours, Book Signings, and Scavenger Hunts, and Continuing Education Programs, such as Botanical Crafts, Garden Photography, and Landscape Design.

Select 7 Chauffeured Car Service drove me both ways today, from midtown Manhattan to The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. This has been my preferred Botanical Garden transportation, comfortable, attentive, and roomy enough to bring home plants and gifts from The Shop in the Garden. For my first day of Spring, Botanical Garden visit, I began with a hot cup of coffee in the Visitor’s Café, then walked straight to the Conservatory for The Orchid Show, a short path from The Leon Levy Visitor Center. No tram was needed, as the weather was fine, and I looked forward to some fresh air and brisk exercise, after a winter in Manhattan. The Orchid Show drew many visitors, speaking a variety of languages, some wheeling strollers and holding the hands of captivated children. I had planned a full-day’s visit, so I could photograph at a leisurely pace and still have time for a walk through the grounds and trails.

The Brazilian-styled orchid displays were enchanted, bursting with hundreds of varieties: solid-colored orchids, polka-dotted orchids, striped orchids, orchids that looked like slippers, orchids that looked like fruit, orchids that grew on walls, and orchids that hung from planters. The Marx mosaic work was fascinating from every angle, with its splendid blue-gold-red-pink reflections and vibrancy. Some of the Conservatory spaces were quite warm, with the sparkling, sunny glass panes, and some were cool, amidst shadows of large palms. The World of Plants exhibit co-mingled ferns, cacti, and the orchids, and every turn of the indoor trails brought stunning new visions of floral abundance and delectable décor. Informative posters and a blue silk-screened painting added meaning and inspiration to the gestalt of this experience.

After The Orchid Show, I was ready for lunch at The Garden Café, and hot soup and fresh fruit were available for this earthy Spring Saturday. My adventurous walk took me through walks adorned by warbling robins, scampering black squirrels, a giant pine tree, a few Henry Moore monumental sculptures, and the Mitsubishi Wild Wetland Trail. I even took time to relax on a roadside bench, before braving the very busy Shop in the Garden. There, I found a few birthday gifts (silk Botanical Garden necktie, orchid designed napkins, pewter hors d’oeuvres forks, and French garden cards). The orchid plants were on sale, and the checkout lines were indicative of orchid enthusiasts. The Shop in the Garden also has a wide variety of children’s toys, imported vegetable seeds, garden equipment, and floral design literature.

Do not miss The New York Botanical Garden’s 7th Annual Orchid Show: Brazilian Modern, running through April 12, 2009. Wear comfortable shoes, light, layered clothing, and be sure to bring your camera.

The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Home of The Orchid Show:
Brazilian Modern
Photo Courtesy of Roberta E. Zlokower

---

First Day of Spring at
The New York Botanical Garden
Photo Courtesy of Roberta E. Zlokower

---

First Day of Spring at
The New York Botanical Garden
Photo Courtesy of Roberta E. Zlokower

---

First Day of Spring at
The New York Botanical Garden
Photo Courtesy of Roberta E. Zlokower

---

First Day of Spring at
The New York Botanical Garden
Photo Courtesy of Roberta E. Zlokower

---

First Day of Spring at
The New York Botanical Garden
Photo Courtesy of Roberta E. Zlokower

For more information, contact Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower at zlokower@bestweb.net