The 2017 orchid show is in St. Louis and it is a beautiful one. The Missouri Botanical Gardens has had orchids since 1876 when they were gifted to Henry Shaw. Today there are over 6,000 orchid plants and some are over 100 years old. The oldest orchid species still in the collection dates from the 1890s.
This year the show featured 19 vanilla species and 4 cultivated vanilla varieties. None of the vanilla orchids were in bloom. Vanilla is used for flavoring and aroma and is found in ice cream, soda, syrup, chocolate and cereal. You can even find vanilla in detergent, shaving cream, cleaners, soaps and lotions, shampoos and candles. The natural vanilla scent comes from the fruit of vanilla orchids. The Vanilla plaifolia is the primary source for vanilla. Thomas Jefferson helped introduce vanilla to the United States and developed a recipe for vanilla ice cream!
Earlier, I made my own vanilla using vanilla pods from Mexico. Most vanilla pods come from Madagascar and Indonesia.
You can find the how-to here.
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| Cymbidium |
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| Phalaenopsis |
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| Paphiopedilum |
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| Dendrobium |
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| Cattleya |
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| Cattleya |
Check out these gorgeous orchids from the show. If you are in St. Louis, be sure and stop by the show.
I love flower shows so much - you get to see so many gorgeous, blooming (perfect looking) flowers. These orchids are stunning! Must have been fantastic to get to see so many pretty ones!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a fabulous show. While I love orchids myself, I tend to not do well with getting them to flower again after their initial time. Good thing my mother in law has an excellent green thumb to revive them!
ReplyDeleteThis makes me long for spring so badly! Such beautiful photos and flowers! Looks like a great day!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like so much fun. I would love to look into flowers more and learn about them. I've actually never been to Missouri and my best friend has been there for a few years.
ReplyDeleteI'm not to far from there and had no idea they had an orchid show! Those flowers are beautiful and I bet it smelled amazing in there!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I'll ever be up that way, I'm in Florida, but those flowers are beautiful! I was able to attend a botanical garden in Alabama once, and it was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWow so beautiful! I'm actually taking a trip to see my dad up in Missouri! Maybe this will be nearby and I can take my kids!
ReplyDeleteOh my these are wonderful!! Love the photos as well, they've turned out so nice! I'd love to visit, that's the kind of a day out that I'd really enjoy! x
ReplyDeleteI am in awe! The orchids look absolutely beautiful! It looks like you had a great time and got to experience some serious beautiful flowers.
ReplyDeleteThese flowers are so beautiful! I love visiting gardens in spring.
ReplyDeleteOrchids are so pretty but I have never been to a flower show . I love all the technical terms used to mark all the different varieties!
ReplyDeleteI love home and garden shows - especially in the winter! It always makes me happy. In fact the kids and I often take trips to the green house in the winter, just to have that warmth and humidity on our skin :-)
ReplyDeleteI love orchids, they are so pretty! I am so ready for spring and flowers and all the fun that comes along with it.
ReplyDeleteWOW! No doubt that these orchids are gorgeous. I really like going to gardens because you get to see so many beautiful plants. It makes you appreciate nature more.
ReplyDeleteThose flowers are so pretty. I started getting into flowrs when planning my wedding last year and now I have to have flowers all the time.
ReplyDeleteThat is so pretty There's a botanical garden not too far from me but I've never gotten around to going.
ReplyDeleteI love orchids and this would be something I would love to see. We have the gardens near us and we love to visit.
ReplyDeleteI love botanical gardens. My favorite ones are in the Huntington Library in Southern California. Your post made me curious now about visiting St. Louis! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds fantastic and I love orchids so would really suit us, I wish I had more of a green thumb but I can still appreciate them!
ReplyDeleteThis is so pretty! I love botanical gardens, they are always great photo ops
ReplyDeleteOh my husband and I LOVE orchids!!!! What a beautiful show to see in person! We went to this little orchid garden a few months ago and it was so great!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun day! I love botanical gardens and the flowers are all just lovely! Perfect!
ReplyDeleteOh my these orchids are so pretty! You're photo's are great too btw. We have a botanical gardens nearby but nothing as pretty as this!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great place to visit! We have a botanical gardens here and I really hope we get to visit this Spring!
ReplyDeleteI love Orchids! That are really the pretties flowers. It must have been a really beautiful show.
ReplyDeleteHow special to see flowers that are 100 years old!!! I think orchids are such a pretty, romantic flower. Most of them seem to have such beautiful detail. I really like the Dendrobium shown here.
ReplyDeleteThese are GORGEOUS! There is honestly nothing better than the smell fresh flowers <3
ReplyDeleteI have never been to a flower show before, but I know it's something that I'd enjoy since I love flowers. With St. Louis being a hop, skip, and jump from where I live, I'll definitely have to keep this flower show in mind!
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