I spent a few hours at the Cape and Islands Orchid Society annual orchid show in Hyannis, on Cape Cod, MA. This was by far the biggest show I had ever attended, and I was blown away by the beauty and the diversity of the orchids on display and for sale. The theme of this year’s show was “Orchid Vessels.” The plants were shown in and with various containers.
This is THE orchid show in New England, and it was crowded. We even had to wait for someone to vacate a parking spot before we could park and go inside.
The Ocean State Orchid Society exhibit
The display in the photo above was designed by the orchid club I belong to – the Ocean State Orchid Society. It was beautifully executed and elicited many oohs and ahs. I did not contribute any of my own plants to this effort because I do not have anything in show-worthy bloom these days.
This is a masdevallia – one of my favorites.
The display pictured below was designed by J &L orchids, a Connecticut grower. It was very thoughtfully put together and showcased many unusual species. I am particularly fond of strong red and orange blooms, especially when they are contrasted with vibrant green moss and weathered driftwood.
The J&L display
If you must know, yes, I did purchase a few plants. I have a penchant for miniatures, and there was a great selection for sale. Miniatures are great, because they will usually fit comfortably on a windowsill. They’re also so darned cute.
I will conclude with a shot of a spectacular cymbidium. Wow.
Digging RI 
In February’s Smithsonian magazine there is very informative article on orchids. You may be able to see it online too at smithsonian.com. I thought of you as soon as I saw it!
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Thanks, Lib. I’ll check it out. I just let our subscription expire….
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Love the title of this post! Yes, orchid porn, for sure. I really like miniatures, too. They are small enough to fit anywhere, and yup, they are ‘so darn cute’!
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I have a “Stenoglottis woodsii” that is not only tiny, but deciduous. When I brought it home a few months ago, it had a few brown withered leaves that just disappeared. While it is dormant, you have to be very careful with watering – just a sparse watering once in a while – otherwise the plant will rot.
I have been anxiously watching the plant for signs of new life, and a couple of weeks ago I saw a tiny bit of green poking out of the medium. It is definitely coming back to life, and I can’t wait to see what the flowers look like.
Sorry… I do tend to go on a bit about these wonderful plants.
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Make sure you post photos of it when the flowers emerge! I’ve no doubt they’ll be adorable.
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Love the title of this post. Too cute. Would you consider writing a post that takes us through getting an orchid to rebloom in our homes? I’ve never had a bit of luck. I have several pots of orchid leaves and that’s it. Getting one to rebloom would send me over the moon.
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CJ, I would first have to know what species of orchids you are growing. Are they Phaelanopsis? Those are the most common “moth orchids.” Different orchids need different conditions to re-bloom. I would be happy to write something about phals. Just confirm that’s what you have.
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I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t know. That’s horrible, I know. They came from the grocery store and they weren’t tagged with a name of any kind. I’m don’t overwater them and am able to keep the leaves green, but that’s the end of it. They never send up a new stem.
By the way, the orchid is the birth flower of February, so happy birthday to all your February-born followers.
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Do they have a big wide leaf coming out of each side? Are they the type you see a lot on home decorating shows? Google “phaelanopsis” and you’ll get a bunch of pix.
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Yes! I looked at the phaelanopsis pix and that’s them. Thanks so much for that!
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I thought so. OK, I will write something about getting them to re-bloom.
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Thanks! It would be so nice to have even one of them rebloom.
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Hi….my mother just loved orchards…they are very beautiful and very delicate….so to be in the minority for sure I am not in “like”of the title…SORRY….there always has to be “the other side of the coin”…
What a beautiful flower to have for the “month of February”…it certainly sets the stage for SPRING.
Look forward to your next article.
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Thanks for reading, Joyce.
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