2023 Orchid Exhibit in DC
Oh hi there, I’m just over here killing it at blogging (lol, I haven’t posted here since last November). I hope you’re doing well and enjoying your orchids, if you grow any! Many orchids in my collection are blooming, and I still need to sit down and post about them. In the meantime, I’ll share with you my visit to the orchid exhibit that the Smithsonian Gardens hosts annually in collaboration with the US Botanic Garden here in Washington DC.
This year’s exhibit is called “Discover the World of Orchids” and it runs from February 17 to April 30, 2023 at the US Botanic Garden.
I’m going to be honest and say that I found this year’s exhibit to be rather underwhelming in comparison to past years. I suppose that could be because last year’s exhibit in the Kogod Courtyard was so wonderful, and I might have had some extra excitement about it because it was the first orchid show I had been to since before the pandemic. However, the last time the orchid exhibit was held at the USBG was in 2018 and there were a lot more orchids on display in the space. Maybe they’ve had budget cuts or something…who knows.
Okay, enough complaining from me—my husband and I still enjoyed viewing beautiful orchids!
You can’t go wrong with some buttery yellow Phalaenopsis blooms with pink stripes:
I was happy to spot a gorgeous fuchsia peloric Phalaenopsis in the large orchid display seen in this post’s first photo:
I’ve seen this Phal at the USBG before, but it captures my attention every time:
I didn’t spot the tag for this orchid, but it looks like some kind of Dendrobium. The coloring on these blooms is so unique:
This Cymbidium Baltic Dew ‘Freckle Face’ AM/AOS has such gorgeous details:
A few white orchids caught my eye, including this light blush-tinted Paphiopedilum Rosy Dawn:
White orchids are difficult for me to photograph well, but I did manage to snap a decent pic of this Dendrobium nobile:
The green-and-yellow center of this daintily freckled Paphiopedilum albion really pops!
This Enanthleya Magic Wand would make such good fall decor (if it ever blooms then):
Spiders are my nemeses, but I do love this green Brassia gireoudiana (this genus is commonly called the Spider Orchid….ew).
The sunlight streaming into the main entry hall really lit up some of the pale lavender-colored Phalaenopsis on display:
There were many stunning Paphiopedilums in different areas throughout the garden:
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Wardian cases filled with orchids here before, but they always make me googly-eyed. I just adore this type of display:
We spotted this sunny yellow Oncidium by the door on our way out:
Above are my favorite photos from this year’s orchid exhibit! Though I wasn’t overly impressed with the exhibit itself, I may still return before it ends and see if they’ve swapped out or added any orchids. The USBG is a lovely place to to visit anytime, and it’s compact enough that it doesn’t take a ton of time to go through.
Are you planning on going to the 2023 Orchid Exhibit at the USBG (or have you already stopped by)? Let me know what you thought of it in the comments.
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