MEET THE ORCHID LADY
Babs Wagner is the "orchid lady"
at Missouri Botanical Garden.
As curator of their famous orchid collection,
dating back to 1876 when Henry Shaw
received his first orchid and started
Shaw's Garden in St. Louis,
Babs collects and manages some
7,000 orchid plants,
culminating in the annual Orchid Show
(ongoing this month and next)
which attracts visitors worldwide.
I was allowed a private tour in the garden's
3 controlled orchid greenhouses
(each a different temperature and humidity
depending on the cultivars.)
One of Henry Shaw's original orchids
(Oncidium Sphacelatum)
originally collected in 1898
is still thriving at this year's show.
Babs pointed to several of their resident
insect-eating geckos
which are placed throughout the greenhouses
to control the roach population.
(See final photo.)
Interesting Factoid:
"One of every 8 plants in the world
is an orchid."
Very interesting post ! I like the geckos ...an ecological possibility to combat insect pest! hugs
ReplyDeleteTodo un privilegio!
ReplyDeleteQue bello este lugar Rick!
La foto final es preciosa, por poco se me pasa el detalle desapercibido.
Un beso enorme!
Preciosas las orquídeas, es un lujo estar en un criadero así, pero... muero de terror con los geckos... :)
ReplyDeleteMuchos besos
Cualquiera no tiene ese honor....pero seguro que te lo mereces. Un reportaje impresionante!
ReplyDeleteSaludos
Interesting fact, I didn't know....
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful place, how lucky you are to get a private tour. Have a great weekend Rick!
so wonderful to see flowers and plants
ReplyDeletecolor and a lizard
such a wonderful place to visit
Nice assortment.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteBe-e-e-autiful!!
Disable Winter... and let the sunshine in...
(^^)