Spring Conservatory Display 2011

Our Spring Conservatory Display opens to the public on Saturday, March 12, 2011. Orchids steal the show as usual but look for Begonias and other spring flowers and colorful tropical plants from all colors of the rainbow. Fairy Houses are a hot gardening trend and 33 custom made in house styles will be set in the flower-filled indoor garden.

Miltonia Orchid has a face reminiscent of a pansy and its cheeriness on this springy day really grabs your attention.

This red-leaved Cordyline (sometimes called cabbage palm, though it's not a palm) is native to New Zealand but it's spiky foliage is becoming very popular here as a container plant.

Pastel Ranunculus with crape-paper-like flowers are set with dark red cyclamen for a beautiful composition. Ranunculus are a classic spring only annual with gorgeous flowers. It's hard to believe they are first cousin to our wild buttercups so their other common name Persian Buttercup doesn't belie.

The intricacies of some orchid's flowers make them look unreal. This one is on our tree of cork and I couldn't reach its name.

Moth Orchids (Phalaenopsis) are a great orchid for beginners and new hybrids are giving them more colors and patterns than their ever popular white standard. This is a the new cultivar 'Mei Dar Blackberry.'

Pink Ranunculus with pink-flowered and silvered leaved Cyclamen create a very harmonious combination. The silvery Dusty Miller in between also color echos the cyclamen leaves to make them stand out even more.

Autumn Carnation Encore Azalea is in full bloom and is one of 10 of these popular repeat-flowering azaleas considered hardy through zone 6. We will be planting these 10 hardiest cultivars outdoors in the gardens for the first time this year.

The slipper orchids like this Paphiopedilum are always popular and intriguing.

Colm. Calatante 'Solar Flare' is the label on this interesting orchid in shades of orange.

Golden yellow Ranunculus are as welcome as the sunshine today. These are Persian buttercups for sure.

The stunning fan shaped leaves of Bismarckia nobilis palm are surely a study in texture and form. Their chalky blue coloration makes them a stand out among palms.

This unique orchid is a cross between two Genera and is why the "X" is seen before the Genus of its botanical name: X Degarmoara 'Jay Yamada Kauai'.

The translucency of this orchid makes it look completely different when back-lit. Many orchids are stunning that way so be sure to look at them from many angles.

This Cattleya 'Binosa' with purpled lips and green petals and sepals is another of the 1,000's of the variations in the Orchid Family. Over 25,000 species have been cataloged and many more hybrids and cultivar selections make it the most diverse plant family on Earth. Come enjoy its splendor along with many other flowers and foliage to help chase away the winter blues. On display March 12th through Easter Sunday with an ever changing display as various orchids are rotated in from the greenhouses as they come into bloom. Don't forget to see the small bulbs that are the outdoor harbingers of spring and listen to the new bird arrivals in the garden too. The Eastern Meadowlarks finally sang this morning, a couple weeks later than normal. Spring is almost here!

Flowers of the New Conservatory Display

Anne Wildeboor (Horticulturist, Seasonal Displays and Events), along with gardeners and volunteers, is busy planting ground covers and placing orchids for the new conservatory display of Orchids and Bromeliads. The conservatory is being transformed into a jungle showcasing these plants.


The display includes the Red Powderpuff (Calliandra haematocephala), which is in full bloom.


Forced azaleas are perfuming the air: this is the hardy 'White Lights' Azalea, one of the best for growing outdoors in our climate.


This is the flower truss of the 'Mandarin Lights' Azalea, another azalea that does well outdoors in our climate.


Our winter flowering tropical Joe Pye-weeds (Eupatorium sordidum) are always a hit but they only bloom after the short days of winter so will not work as plants set outdoors for summer. Enjoy their huge trusses of blue flowers.


All orchids with flower spikes or flowers have been pulled from our greenhouses and are staged ready for placement in the display.


Orchids are the major flowers of this display but the handsome foliage of a striped bromeliad is the backdrop for this white Paphiopedilum orchid. There are thousands of species of orchids, even more hybrids, and even more cultivars! Most of the orchids will not be labeled in the display--it distracts from the beauty of the experience. You may leave a plant information request form at the front desk if you need to know a name. Many orchids are complex crosses that are produced in limited numbers. Exact clones are generally not available, so the value of the name is minimal. Below is a quick sample of some of the orchids you will see in bloom in the display. I did not pull out their labels so no names are given. We hope you enjoy the exotic beauty of these most marvelous of flowers.

The new conservatory display opens on Saturday, March 14. Forced flowering dogwoods and the aforementioned azaleas add a preview of spring to the display. A great selection of orchids will be for sale from a display case adjacent to the front desk. We hope this gets you excited for the 2009 growing season!

Orchids, A Cure for the Winter Blues

Orchids at Powell Gardens provide a cure for the winter blues and spring fever. Scroll down and enjoy a quick look at the colors and varieties currently in bloom. Many of the plants are not labeled.


I have lived here 12 winters and never have I heard so many folks complain about the winter! It has actually been "average" but so many winters have been mild recently that we have forgotten what a real one is like. (Green Lantern Dendrobium depicted.)

We grow orchids in our Greenhouse #2, which is not open for visitors to see. When they come into bloom they are transfered to theVisitor Center's front desk and the conservatory so everyone can enjoy them.

Drops of Orange Cattleya

There are more species of orchids (Family Orchidaceae) than any other family of plants. There are about 50,000 species found from the arctic to the tropics. Hybridizers have created many, many hybrids!

Vanilla; yes, the vanilla flavoring we all enjoy comes from the seed pod of this orchid! Our gardener, Tracy Flowers, is trying to pollinate this plant this spring. All vanilla orchids must be hand pollinated and the best are grown in Madagascar even though this plant is native in Mexico. It is a large, vine-like orchid.

Orchids even come in exquisite greens like this species hybrid Paphiopedilum.

The "Paphs" are orchids related to wild lady's slippers.

Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis

This Dendrobium orchid was mislabeled Epidendrum pseudepidendrum. Keeping track of so many species, hybrids and cultivars is challenging!

This Vanda orchid always causes rave reviews with its deep indigo blue flowers.

At the end of the rainbow lies purple and Vandas show this royal color off in style. I hope this quick blog of images entices you out to see our orchids on display. The next two months are peak orchid blooming season--look for them in the conservatory. They come in all colors of the rainbow and are sure to soothe the soul.

Our orchid collection owes many thanks to our former Horticulturist David Bird, who now grows and sells orchids with his family business Bird's Botanicals.

All photographs taken by Alan Branhagen on February 13, 2008 at Powell Gardens.