Winter Orchid Show at Norfolk Botanical Garden

On a cold rainy morning a few weeks ago, Anne and I slogged over to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens for a bit of colorful cheer in the form of beautiful, tropical flowers. The Winter Orchid show had just started, and we thought it would be the perfect place to retreat from the gray weather and forget that the groundhog had just told us six more weeks of winter were in store.

There were dozens of varieties of orchids on display, from teeny tiny blossoms to large, solitary ones with long fluttery petals. It was a lot to take in all at once -- we had to make several trips around the Tropical House to drink in all of it, and on each pass, we found something new to exclaim over. Anouk's favorites were the Vanilla planifolia -- she thought they smelled like birthday cake. Mine were a bunch of giant hot-pink blooms. (When I got home and looked at the plant list, I saw that they were called Sophrolaeliocattleya Best Friend 'Cathy.' So I think it's fitting they were my faves.)

Many of the orchids on display grow in the NBG's Tropical House year round but many others are on loan and will only be displayed through the end of the winter show. Be sure to go and see them before the end of March! Also check out NBG's class on how to grow and care for orchids in your home, coming up on February 21 (more info here).