Festival of flowers
This weekend, the Anniston Museum of Natural History will be in full bloom. Literally. The Northeast Alabama Orchid Society is presenting "A Festival of Orchids," their spring show and sale. Thousands of orchids will be on display, and many of the flowers will be for sale. For those whose green thumbs aren't so green, the experts at the show will be more than happy to help, said Joanne Shearer, NEAOS president and chairperson of the show. "It's really not hard to grow an orchid if you ask somebody beforehand to make sure you get the right one," she said. "Orchid growers love to share information." The show will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. There is no charge for admission. Orchid facts • The first orchids from the western hemisphere to reach Europe were vanilla, sent to Spain in 1515. Other tropical orchids arrived, but often failed to grow and flower. • Orchids are the largest family of flowering plants, with an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 naturally occurring species. • Though often thought of as tropical, orchids grow on every continent except Antarctica. Every state in America has one or more native orchid. • The first manmade orchid hybrid was created in 1856. Over the years hybridizers have learned to cross as many as 5 genera to create a single plant. • Orchid flowers come in every color of the rainbow and combination thereof. Contrary to the old movie, there is no black orchid. Fragrances range from none, to quite sweet, to the smell of something rotting. • In Hawaii, orchid blooms are used as a garnish for food and drink. Eating the blossom is said to ensure your return to the islands. • Orchid flowers come in every conceivable size, from the Platlystele stenostchya, small enough to fit on a dime, to the Cattleya gigantia which can have flowers between 8-11 inches across and bear more than a half dozen of these huge flowers at once. • The Kew Gardens in England have documented one orchid that was 150 years old. • Orchids are no longer just a "corsage flower." They are grown successfully at home in sunny windows and under lights by many enthusiasts. — Compiled by Joanne Shearer Festival of OrchidsWhat: Orchid show and sale |
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