Orchid Show

Just outside the ticket booths of the NY Botanical Garden, I saw my first Fabergé egg; apparently they have been "hidden" in plain sight all around the city.  What I loved about this egg was the excellent trompe l'oeuil quality of the painting.  The artist really captured the sense of fish in an aquarium.

But we did not come all the way to the Bronx to ogle eggs, or even fish.  It was time for the annual Orchid Show, which I previously saw in (ahem) April 2008.

This year's theme was Key West, although I'm not quite sure why or how that theme was expressed in the orchids.  Some of them featured bright, beachy colors:

While others did not:

The show featured orchids of many shapes, sizes and hues.  One of my favorite types was this one, which reminded many attendees of an insect.

Spotted like a giraffe...

 Of course, I grew suspicious over the course of the exhibition that we were being forcibly exposed to the Garden's rainforest and desert exhibits, as well as marketing info about the Garden and its affiliated scientists, all of which we might otherwise have quite happily skipped.  But it would have been foolish for them not to take advantage of this very popular attraction.

I believe this was a denizen of the rainforest,
not an orchid.  Doesn't it look like cloisonné?

These magnificent spines or thorns are so incredibly inviting!  I so wanted to touch them.
Alas, I couldn't even pretend to forget the rules, as a nearby sign prominently reminded us
 to keep our hands off.  And it certainly would have been more than a little embarrassing
to seek medical assistance if the thorns proved sharp enough to draw blood... 

I loved these tiny water-lily stars!

 The water-lily pond was overhung crosswise by a curtain of dropping vines with flowers at the end.  It reminded me a little bit of mistletoe (except with yellow and maroon orchid blossoms dangling down).  Very cool!

But I think the water-lily pictures came out better, so I'll stick with those for now.

According to the Garden: "Most tropical orchids are epiphytes, which means they grow clinging to other plants."

 

Apparently, the tree-dwelling orchids' roots "allow them to cling to the bark of trees and absorb moisture and nutrients from rainwater" - i.e., they are not parasites. Pretty cool, huh?

Now, back to the orchids!  These remind me of tiny handkerchiefs.

Cacti.  Not orchids.

Ditto.

Lithops - they look like stones, but it's just camouflage.  They live!!!!

Another succulent desert plant, I presume.
Loved the colors.

Venus fly-traps!  Much smaller than in Little Shop of Horrors.

Looks like that little pebble may be done for.

Probably my all-round favorite was this one with a red stem, and blue-and-white flowers:

Top-down view

Side view

All in all, a very nice show!  Afterward, we had lunch in the cafe and then caught a free concert from a self-described Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, & Zac Brown tribute band.  It was lively and fun, except for one song which I happen to hate with a bitter passion.  (But the band didn't know I'd be there, so I won't hold it against them for failing to adjust their playlist to suit my tastes.)

Thereafter, we went to the Azalea Garden (still a bit sparse at this time of year, though the snowdrops and daffodils were in evidence).

The highlight of our self-guided tour of the grounds was the children's adventure garden - it has lots of fanciful sculptures and bird-houses.

A wonderful bird-house, where birds must fly into the cat's mouth to enjoy their repast!!

Lovely inch-worms bedecked with dried pine-cones...

...or living pansies,

all with lovely googly eyes!