Six degrees of separation refers to the notion that all people are six, or fewer, social connections away from each other. Imagine if only two degrees separated you from someone very famous, in other words, an A-List celebrity is “a friend of a friend.” We experienced this situation in 2009 when a walk-in client informed us that she worked extensively with Priscilla Presley.
For many years, developing countries have promoted ecotourism as a way for indigenous people to make a living without cutting down the forests. Ecuador is particularly rich in biodiversity and has set aside 23% of its land in national parks, reserves, refuges, and recreation. In addition, the government pays private land owners to keep their acreage wild. Over 5000 species of orchids have been identified throughout Ecuador with more being discovered each year.
In the far reaches of western North Carolina on 8,000 acres, sits the largest dwelling in the United States, the Biltmore House. George Vanderbilt II modeled his 1895 country retreat after a chateaux in France’s Loire Valley. He also specified an extensive orchid collection to provide fresh flowers throughout the home.
Tutti Fruiti, Coral Orange, and Fire Engine Red are just some of the words used to describe the intriguing flowers of Epidendrums – a fascinating genus of orchids with over 1000 known species. Hobbyists love these plants because they are easy to cultivate – thriving in a wide range of conditions as well as readily making baby plantlets. Once thought of as having tall, somewhat unruly, foliage, today’s hybrids are compact and quite manageable.
