The Orchid Show: Chandeliers at the New York Botanical Garden
The show took two weeks to put together but months of cultivating to make sure the buds bloomed at the same time, said Marc Hachadourian, Director of Nolen Greenhouses for the New York Botanical Garden.
The Orchid Show: Chandeliers at the New York Botanical Garden
Orchids are found all over the world and in all different cultures, from Japanese to Chinese to Greek.
The Orchid Show: Chandeliers at the New York Botanical Garden
Senior Editor Sharon Clott Kanter stands under the massive star-shaped orchid chandelier, the centerpiece of the exhibition, created by Francisca Coelho. It measures 16 feet in diameter. “The inspiration for this chandelier was orchids floating in space,” explained Hachadourian.
The Orchid Show: Chandeliers at the New York Botanical Garden
“There are a little bit of horticultural acrobatics to get these gorgeous orchids, hundreds of them, on this enormous orchid chandelier,” said Hachadourian.
The Orchid Show: Chandeliers at the New York Botanical Garden
The orchid’s pollination habits—they only specialized reproductive parts and only one pollen mass/one chance at “procreation”—fascinate researchers. “There are orchids that do such bizarre things as mimic the female of a species of bee and trick the males into mating with the flowers to get them to pollinate them,” said Hachadourian. “It’s like they push the edge of science, almost to science fiction.”
The Orchid Show: Chandeliers at the New York Botanical Garden
Orchids are unlike any other plant. “There are orchids that attach themselves to tree branches,” said Hachadourian. “The idea that an orchid is so difficult and delicate, but really can hang off the branches in the tropics and bloom makes them seem like they’re extreme plants.”
The Orchid Show: Chandeliers at the New York Botanical Garden
This is one of the hanging orchid arrangements that gives the exhibition its Chandeliers name.
The Orchid Show: Chandeliers at the New York Botanical Garden
This is the Cymbidium, otherwise called Golden Boy.
The Orchid Show: Chandeliers at the New York Botanical Garden
Orchids are the largest family of flowering plants. Some range from 1/16 of an inch and can grow to more than 25 feet tall.
The Orchid Show: Chandeliers at the New York Botanical Garden
Each orchid is staked to make sure it grows tall and straight. This usually happens after the orchid reaches one foot in length.
The Orchid Show: Chandeliers at the New York Botanical Garden
There’s a reason orchids are so expensive, explained Hachadourian. “An orchid can take on average three to four years from seed to bloom. There’s a lot of time and effort to get that plant up to the size needed.”
