If the calendar says “spring” but your heart still feels like winter, a trip to the annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden is the pick me up you need.
A trip to the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden will fill your Instagram feed for a year. Photo: Cathy Bennett Kopf/The Open Suitcase
When it’s still snowing in March, I get depressed. After a long winter, I’m ready to hose off the patio furniture, pick up flats of pansies at Home Depot and make a decision about whether or not this is the last year I can go sleeveless.
The sure-fire cure for winter blues in early spring is a trip to the annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden. Featuring the iconic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the NYBG is home to all good things flora. And running now through April 22 is the annual Orchid Show, a dazzling display of common and exotic varieties. The smell alone is worth the $25 admission.
Pansy orchids echoed the shape and color of spring’s more familiar harbingers and showy corsage orchids attracted crowds of photographers. I particularly enjoyed the muted shades of some of the taupe and mauve specimens. Did you know that the vanilla bean (used to make pure vanilla extract) is the seed pod of the vanilla orchid? Imagine a room that smells like Grandma’s baking but looks like her chintz sofa.
And then there was the Darwin Star. I overheard a few orchidheads whispering about this rare and elusive species and finally located it in the conservatory. Apparently Charles Darwin, after examining a sample of this orchid, insisted that a moth with an extremely long insect tongue must exist in order to pollinate it (think Gene Simmons). Darwin was roundly mocked as no such moth was known to exist in Madagascar, the orchid’s home. Four decades after Darwin’s death, a moth was discovered with brag-worthy proportions supporting the naturalist’s theories.
After sweating my way through the conservatory’s tropical hothouse, I was looking forward to walking the grounds. To compensate for the lack of natural outdoor interest, the NYBG is hosting an exhibition of large-scale sculptures by the Spanish artist Manolo Valdés. The sculptures are metallic featureless heads with different aerie faerie wreaths. Really quite beautiful and perfect for the gardens.
My soul felt nurtured, but my stomach was beginning to get a little restless. Luckily, Arthur Avenue (what many consider to be New York’s real Little Italy) is a stone’s throw from the NYBG.
First stop was Madonia Bakery for a loaf of seeded Italian bread and some cannoli. I’d completely forgotten it was St. Patty’s Day until I saw the loaves of Irish soda bread. Took two of those too.
Madonia Bakery’s Wall of Biscotti
Then I ducked into the Arthur Avenue Retail Market. Fordham students dressed like leprechauns were playing green beer pong. I felt a bit like Christopher in the Sopranos episode when he has a near death experience and encounters a bouncer on the other side who tells him he’ll end up in hell, like his father. A bouncer? Apparently hell for an Italian is an Irish bar called The Emerald Piper “where it’s St. Patrick’s Day every day forever.”
But nothing was bothering David Greco and the gang at Mike’s Deli (Mr. Greco won an eggplant parm throwdown against Bobby Flay). I took home fresh mozzarella, stuffed peppers and a Paula Deen – prosciutto, hot sopressata, radicchio, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and truffle butter on focaccia.
Other than the action at the bar, the market was quiet and peaceful. On my way out the door I stopped to observe a gentleman rolling cigars by hand. As he picked up each leaf, a fresh wave of earthy scent was released into the air, complimenting the sharp smell of the cheeses hanging nearby.
This morning as I write this, it’s snowing again. Bring it on, Mother Nature. It may be winter on the outside, but I’ve got spring inside.
I absolutely LOVE orchids and those are truly beautiful. It looks like you had a nice day especially when you got to the food shop and that sandwich YUM!!! 😀
God- I feel you! So desperate for spring now. What a fab way of beating these never ending winter blues! Your photos are beautiful x
Thank you so much!
This is wonderfull!
Thank you so very much! Hope you entered the giveaway?
What lovely photos! My favorite spring activity is taking pics of flowers!!!
Thank you! I could have spent all day there but the crowds were building steadily!
Gorgeous pictures! My favourite activity for Spring is spending time outdoors and preparing for summer! 🙂 Thank you so much for the giveaway! xoxox
Here’s what [Haupt?] looks like during the holiday train show, with a still-active link to info: http://uppervalleygirl.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/new-york-botanical-garden-train-show/
For perspective, the Bridge is over your head. I’m bummed we didn’t get to Arthur Ave; we were cold and cranky and feared a parking nightmare. Thx for showing what it looks like in spring.
Suggestion? I’d park over on Arthur Avenue and eliminate the ridiculous $15 parking charge at the garden and then cut through the Fordham campus. So great that you went to the train show – can’t wait to take my nephews in a couple more years.
I love the warm weather and daylight savings time
Oops forgot to post my favorite spring activity which is going to the local Nursery Festival in my hometown
Hi 🙂 I’ve just nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award! Come see: http://clairebear2013.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/liebster-blog-award/
Thank you!
No problem! 🙂
That sounds like a fun day – those orchids are gorgeous!
Had a good laugh, when reading beginning of your post. The rreason? I am going to our Riga botanical garden tomorrow. Most likely – for the same reason 🙂
Is this like Mohammed and the mountain? Enjoy – hope there’ll be pictures shared.
Pretty pictures! A trip to the gardens is definitely on my list. That cigar roller is badass. And for that sandwich…gimme.
The gardens look like the sort of place a photographer could spend hours! Oh, and the bakery!
What a gorgous post – I missed the NY botanical gardens on my so far one and only visit to NYC – just not enough time. But it’s top of my list for the next visit, along with the Brooklyn botanical gardens and the cloisters! Thanks so much for allowing me to travel there for now! And thank’s so much for stopping by my page at http://www.midihideaways.wordpress.com !!
It’s what makes NY such a great destination – there are so many layers to explore. Highly recommend the Cloisters – especially when the herb garden’s in full swing. Thanks for the follow.
Very cool post and neat way to do a giveaway. I wasn’t familiar with that Rafflecopter giveaway. Thanks for showing me something new!
Those orchids are incredible, never seen them look that nice. The Garden there is great, would love to see it. Thank you for visiting my website this morning too. You run a great blog! 🙂
Thanks. So do you. Love your tagline: “We did our time. Now it’s our time.”
Thank you! I just returned from self hosting, imported everything to this site and have a new… Everything. My old body needs nothing-ness these days. 🙂
I loved reading this… You’re hilarious. If you like orchids, you should head to Medellín, Colombia in August. They have a stunning orchid festival every year around that time.
Thanks for the visit. Putting Medellin on my “to see” list. I appreciate the tip.
Nice! You went there early and the flowers look fresh! I went too early one year, and there weren’t so many blooms out. This year I went almost too late. Next year I should get the timing right …
Congratulations!
I have nominated your blog for the Most Influential Blogger Award.
More on this nomination is at
http://dearkitty1.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/most-influential-blogger-award-thank-you-tazein/
Thank you for the nomination. I really appreciate it.
Well deserved 🙂 Keep blogging!