It didn't take long for Karen Daubmann to come up with a theme for the annual orchid exhibit at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
Phipps' director of horticulture says the hundreds of photos she took on a recent trip to Thailand, along with the memories that she and Heather Mikulas, education specialist at the conservatory, have of their travels in southeast Asia, were the inspiration for "Orchid Fantasy," which opens today in Schenley Park.
"In Thailand, orchids are literally falling out of trees, even in the city," says Daubmann. "We saw them everywhere we went. Even when you order a glass of water at a restaurant, there's an orchid floating on top of it."
The two Phipps staffers spent nearly three weeks in Thailand in November and December gathering information, artifacts and photos to ensure authenticity of Phipps' new 12,000-square-foot Tropical Forest Conservatory scheduled to open later this year. The Garden Club of Allegheny County sponsored their trip.
Mikulas recalls visiting a 500-acre orchid farm outside Bangkok, where the flowers are raised for export to Europe. As they watched workers preparing them for shipment, she says "there were orchids as far as the eye could see."
They also toured tissue-culture laboratories, where orchids are pollinated and crossbred. Daubmann says the country is a major producer of orchids for international trade, and nurseries propagate a wide range of native and non-native species.
"A lot of the orchids you see in cut flower arrangements are native to Thailand," she says. "Even the orchids we use in our exhibit that come from vendors in Hawaii and Florida were started in flasks in Thailand."
The Phipps orchid exhibit, staged in the Serpentine Room, features orchid mixtures cascading from tree canopies and ground plantings of Phalaenopsis, Spathoglottis, bromeliads and ferns. An artist's statement posted at the entrance to the room describes how orchids are important to Thailand and its people.
Not only are the flowers used as decoration, Daubmann says, but they also are an integral part of spiritual offerings used in Thai spirit houses, small buildings that are a symbol of Buddhist culture said to house benevolent spirits that protect homes, gardens and their owners. Beautiful fresh-flower garlands of orchids, jasmine and other flowers are placed daily at the altars of the spirit houses, she says.
"Orchid Fantasy" at Phipps features 600 orchids, in addition to a variety of other plants and trees such as Manila palm, canary tree, Japanese banana, African fern pine, Brazil raintree and ruffled fan palm.
"We got very creative in buying plants for this show," says Daubmann, adding that many of the varieties will be used again in the spring flower show and the Tropical Forest Conservatory.
Visitors to the orchid exhibit will notice interesting fragrances emanating from some of the orchids and from tropical hydrangeas known as "wedding flowers," according to the horticulture director.
"Some people think they smell like cheese cake and others say cinnamon hot chocolate," she says. "I think they smell like vanilla cake batter."
Daubmann says the eight-week-long orchid exhibit provides a welcome break from the bleak Pittsburgh winter.
"The holiday show is typically whimsical; the fall show is plant-focused. The orchid show is just pretty and enjoyable," she says.
Special programs
During "Orchid Fantasy," a number of public programs at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens will focus on orchids, including how to grow the tropical flowers at home and how to use them in arrangements. Classes are free with admission. Offerings include:
Noon today: "Native Orchids."
2 p.m. today: "Vanilla and the Vanilla Orchid," with instructor Cyndi Fink.
Noon Sunday: "Orchids Plane and Fantasy," with Duane Reeves, floral designer, who will sculpt plane arrangements using orchids and foliage.
2 p.m. Sunday: "Orchid Growing for Beginners, with Barbara Tisherman, past president of the Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania and orchid judge.
Noon Jan. 28: "Starting With Orchids," with Demetria Marsh, member of the Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania.
Noon Jan. 29: "Growing Orchids at Your Windowsill," with Vicki Strod, Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania.
2 p.m. Jan. 29: "Growing Orchids Under Lights," with Terry Latour, Orchid Society of Western Pittsburgh.
Noon March 5: "Cattleya Orchids" with Rich Sipko, Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania.
2 p.m. March 5: "Designing With Orchids" with Georgene Albrecht, floriculturist.
Noon March 11: "Starting With Orchids," with Demetria Marsh, Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania
Noon March 12: "Vanda Orchids," with Carol Abbot, past president, Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania.
2 p.m. March 11: "Orchids Are Easy," with Dave Buresch, master gardener
