I finally made it to the Smithsonian Gardens 2024 Orchid Exhibit! This year’s exhibit, in collaboration with the United States Botanic Garden, is located in the Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Museum in downtown Washington DC. The 2024 theme is “The Future of Orchids: Conservation and Collaboration,” and the (free!) exhibit runs through April 28. If you’re an orchid fan in the area, this is a must-see!
Awhile back I developed a little obsession with hunting eBay for good deals on orchid books. I was able to find great deals on some helpful books to add to my small collection! Here’s what I ended up with:
300 Orchids: Species, Hybrids & Varities in Cultivation by Jane Boosey
This fat little orchid bible retails for $29.95 but my winning bid was $3.99. Total including shipping was $7.13. So I saved $22.82 on this one!
Growing Orchids: A Cultural Handbook Prepared by the AOS, 1993 Revised Edition
My winning bid was $0.99, and total cost including shipping was $3.49.
Orchids by Thomas J. Sheehan
My winning bid was another whopping $0.99! Total cost including shipping: $4.15. I can’t even find this book online, so I think it may be out of print (though the publication date is 2001, so it’s not all that old). It was published in association with the Smithsonian Institution and the American Orchid Society.
11 of 12 volumes of Orchids Magazine from 1996, American Orchid Society
My winning bid was $4.99; total cost including shipping: $10.71.
All in all, I spent $25.48 on three orchid books and 11 magazines. If you divide the cost, that’s $1.82 per publication! Not too shabby, eh? I love justifying purchases that way. There’s a ton of information in these books and magazines and I’ve been using them to do research for my blog posts and to care for my orchids. These purchases were definitely worth it!