This post is filed under “nature” instead of “wildflowers,” because these are not wild orchids – something I’ve yet been fortunate enough to find.
These orchids are part of the collection at Longwood Gardens, near West Chester, PA. According to the docent I spoke with, the Gardens has several thousand orchids in their collection, of which several hundred are blossoming and on display at any given time. Indeed, there is an entire room dedicated to orchids at the end of one of the greenhouses, and the sheer colors and variety was stunning.
I adore orchids, but am hopeless at keeping them. (I seem generally hopeless with indoor plants in general, sadly.) But as most of the orchids I’ve attempted to keep have come from the grocery store or Ikea, the range here exceeded my imagination.
What struck me most was the variety of sizes: orchids with blossoms at least as small as a quarter coin, all the way to individuals with flowers that had the diameter of a small dinner plate.
It was a good reminder that nature is filled with astounding variety and wonder.