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April 15, 2005
25th New York International Orchid Show
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Citygardenguide approached the New York Orchid Show in Rockefeller Center with some trepidation. We don't really "get" flower shows and how many Phalanopsis does one really need to see anyway? The answer at the Orchid Show is that you need to see every one of them! When you step into the display tent after paying your $5, the confusion of color and form is overwhelming, but once you start examining the individual specimens wonder and enchantment take over.
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There are orchids of every size, color and shape, from giants the size of a dinner plate to the tiniest of dainty specimens. The colors range from blues, pinks and purples of such intensity that you'd swear that they weren't from nature, to the scary black, brown and green of the Cerasetum "Black Night" pictured here.
This is a flower show, and a big one at that: 600 ribbons, 25 trophies and 52 plaques awarded, and only a true expert can figure out why one variety gets a blue ribbon and an equally or even more beautiful one only deserves third place. We soon gave up trying to understand the ranking system and focused on examining the exotic, the bizarre, and the beautiful. For those of us with no willpower this is a dangerous place; behind the orchid tent there is the biggest orchid mart imaginable, with thousands of the usual and unusual for sale, as well as an awful lot of orchid paraphernalia (who knew?).
The orchid show, located in a tent set up over the Rockefeller Center skating rink, runs from April 12 to 17th.
Posted by gardenguidenyc at April 15, 2005 12:04 PM