Orchids Blooming in Winter Climates

Two orchid shows are in progress right now and into Spring in two very chilly locales: Cleveland and New York City.

In Cleveland, Orchid Mania is Cleveland Botanical Garden's “annual ode to nature's most exotic plant”, their press release announces. It runs through March 28, offering visitors a chance to see hundreds of dazzling blooms in all their staggering variety, color, shapes and sizes. By popular demand, hundreds of orchids will once again be displayed in fanciful ways in a naturalistic setting. Then, to show off all the unlimited floral design possibilities using orchids a dramatic, contemporary "orchid forest" will greet visitors upon entering the exhibit.

Cynthia Druckenbrod, the Garden's director of horticulture promises, "You'll find connoisseur orchids that you won't see every day." The Garden Store will also carry a variety of unusual orchids for visitors to purchase and take home. Complete program and visitor information is available at the Garden's website, www.cbgarden.org.

At The New York Botanical Garden you can find “Cuba in Flower” where their press release promises thousands of colorful orchids and soaring palm trees that offer a tropical sanctuary from the seemingly unending winter of 2010. Iconic sites in Old Havana and the Cuban countryside have been re-imagined to evoke the island's history while engulfing visitors in radiant flowers.

With the popular show acclaimed as a "tour de force that leaves most visitors gasping with amazement and delight," The New York Botanical Garden's 8th annual exhibition unveils a new theme, design, and experience by Cuban-born designer Jorge Sanchez of the Palm Beach firm Sanchez & Maddux. The stage is set for this season's showcase for garden lovers, orchid fans, history buffs, and those searching for a sign that spring will return. The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower runs through April 11. Tickets are available on the Garden's Web site at www.nybg.org.