By Brianne Glover
The Bronx Journal Staff
When you think of a flower, a few things might come to mind: warm weather, honey bees and of course, let’s not forget, week-old rotting meat. This is just one of many interesting scents the orchid is known for worldwide.
The orchid is recognized as one of the largest flowering plant families in the world. There are tens of thousands of different species of orchids, including the South African orchid that uses the scent and appearance of meat to attract flies.
Flies are not the only ones attracted to these exotic plants. Hundreds of people show up yearly for an event called The Orchid Show, held in conservatory at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.
The New York Botanical Garden’s Gardener for Public Education, Sonia Uyterhoeven, has an easy answer for why the orchid is so intriguing. “ I think because the flowers are so beautiful,” Uyterhoeven said. “And also so unusual.” This year, paired with Tony Award winning set designer Scott Pask, the Orchid Show is a theatrical experience for both plant and theater lovers alike.
People from all over New York came out to witness the orchid’s yearly rebirth. Laura Booth-Freda drove in from Westchester to see the show. “I enjoyed it very much.” Booth-Freda said about this year’s show. Booth-Freda, a middle school teacher, enjoys Broadway shows. For Booth-Freda the Orchid Show also combined two attractive features. “I like flowers.” Booth-Freda said, “and I like spectacular events.”
The orchid and mankind have a long-standing history together, going as far back as 600 B.C. Confucius, an ancient Chinese philosopher, is considered the first to write about the orchid’s soft scent and delicate features.
The scent of the orchid is not the only reason to cultivate these flowers. In terms of agriculture, the orchid can be found in many types of food and beverages. Vanilla, specifically from the vanilla planifolia species, is made from the fruit or ‘bean’ of the vanilla orchid, which are mostly grown in Madagascar.
Booth-Freda sat in on an orchid care demonstration offered by Uyterhoeven. “I learned how to water and care for them.” Booth-Freda said in regards learning more about the orchid. “I now own two orchids because I’m confident I can take care of them.”
Not everyone can become an orchid master over night. Orchids get a bad rap for being finicky and hard to grow. Uyterhoeven believes there is one orchid in particular that is perfect for novice gardeners to begin their orchid collection with. “The easiest is the moth orchid,” Uyterhoeven said. “One of the reasons it’s attractive is it’s fairly inexpensive to buy these days, so if you do make a mistake, it’s not a terrible lost.”
Uyterhoeven said there is another reason the Moth orchid is a great beginner’s plant. “What’s nice about the Moth orchid is it’s very adaptable for your home environment.” Uyterhoeven said, “ I would start with that one.”
Whether a person is looking to start a garden or is taking a miniature vacation from the bustling streets of New York, the Orchid Show will attend to both of those needs, serving up a side of horticulture and theatrics that you can only find right here in the Bronx.
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