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Friday, February 14, 2014

Visiting the Phipps Conservatory Part 5: The Orchid Collection

For my fifth and final post on the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh and its beautiful collection of gardens we will tour the Orchid Room.

Just the ticket for Valentine's Day, don't you think?



Like all the other Phipps displays the Orchid Room was filled with gorgeous plants.  There must have been over 1000 blooms.  It was incredibly beautiful.


This post mostly speaks for itself, so there is not much that needs to be said.  There are a lot of photos because I just couldn't leave any out.



 




I think this may be one of those dyed orchids so popular at the big box stores.  Not a fan since there are so many naturally beautiful ones on show.  Note:  This is a Vanda orchid and the color is natural.  Thanks to Michael at Plano Prairie Garden for the info.




These elegant glass figures were placed around the exhibit.



They looked especially nice walking in the pond.








Yes, I know that was three in a row of the same orchid.  Which one would you have left out?  Thought so.

More of that exuberant color we all need in our gardens this time of year.




Dendrobium is one I have had success with in the past.














Another Texas native plant on display.  Visiting gardens away from home has helped me understand just how important our native plants are to collections like these. While they weren't shown here, Texas is also home to 54 different species of native orchids.








The slipper style orchids are my favorites.  Far from delicate they grew wild in the woods behind our house when we lived in Boston.  The "cup" it the front part of the bloom holds rain water.




Blooms with similar care requirements like clivia, bromeliad, and begonia were grouped in.




A few glass bromeliads were tucked in here and there.




I am becoming a begonia fan and will add a few this summer.





One last look at the Chihuly art glass piece in the lobby dome.


We ended our tour of the beautiful Phipps Conservatory and headed back north to Harmony.  I'd like to return in the summer to enjoy the outdoor gardens.  To tour the other rooms at the Phipps begin here.

I have additional photos from a snowy walk in the Pennsylvania woods which I just might keep for later since most folks must be pretty tired of snow by now.  It's time for spring and time for me to head out to the garden and enjoy our beautiful weather this week.

12 comments:

  1. I enjoyed your orchid photos immensely! Thanks for posting them. I tried growing orchids a couple of years ago, but they died. So now I just like looking at them. They really are such beautiful flowers. I didn't realize you once lived in Boston. That's where I'm from, originally.

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    1. We were there about three years in the late 1990s and enjoyed it very much. The long winters were just too much though.

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  2. So beautiful and just the thing for a cold, wet, gray Valentine's Day! Loved every shot! When I was a kid, my favorite crayon in the big box of 64 was magenta. While I favor blue or green more now, when it comes to flowers, there's still something about deeply saturated magenta blooms that thrills me so thanks for those especially! Happy Valentine's Day!

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  3. Beautiful orchids, thanks for the tour, I would have loved to be there!
    I have lady slipper orchids on my wish list, I’ve got a space for a couple of them but they are very expensive so I haven’t splashed out on any yet. But they are lovely and the only orchids that would survive outdoors in my garden.

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  4. So many orchids, so little time! Thanks for the tour and a happy Valentine's Day to you!

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  5. SPECTACULAR!!! From cacti to orchids -- the world of plants never ceases to thrill and amaze me. I love them all.

    Thank you.

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  6. So beautiful...and I really LOVE those glass figures! Thanks for sharing...

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  7. Such yummy color for this colorless cold time of year. Love it.

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  8. Sigh...just what the doc ordered. Thanks for sharing! That is an amazing Orchid collection!

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  9. This post really makes me want a greenhouse for orchids. I have been fascinated with orchids for some time and have had very limited success growing them indoors. The purple orchid looks like a Vanda. Some varieties have naturally occurring purple and blue flowers. The dyed orchids I have seen in stores are usually Phalaenopsis. I enjoyed all of you vacation posts.

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    1. It is a Vanda orchid so thank you for solving the mystery. I'll put a note there.

      I had a dendrobium rebloom twice in a sunny kitchen window. I've tried the phalaenopsis with no success.

      It's been fun to share a different look for a while so I'm glad you enjoyed it.

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  10. 54 species of native orchids in Texas!!! I had no idea! That is amazing to me. Your post is wonderful to see on this winter day. I can only imagine what an incredible feeling that must have been to have been surrounded by so many beautiful blooms. I've never had much success with orchids, but they are so very beautiful, I'm ready to give one another try!

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