My father, Art Chadwick Sr., turns 90 this week and he credits his longevity to orchids. Since the age of 13, he has been collecting cattleyas and, to this day, he can’t wait to wake up in the morning and see what’s in bloom. His lifelong interest began rather innocently, as a teenager walking home from school.
Hobbyists who now find themselves housebound have an opportunity to whip their orchid collection into shape like never before. Somewhere between the Victory Garden being planted and the flower beds being mulched, there is a sizable wedge of time that can be set aside for the “great move” in which indoor orchids are relocated outside. Tropical plants, after all, are happiest when they are exposed to nature’s breezes, humidity, and warmth. The “great move” can’t officially begin until night temperatures are at least in the mid 50’s which for most of us are in a month or so.
Orchid enthusiasts, who are looking to get away this holiday season, now have an additional reason to visit Florida. In the southwest corner of the Sunshine state is the city of Naples, a touristy spot that is known for its countless golf courses and 300+ sunny days each year. But its ten year old botanical garden and prized orchid collection is getting all the attention.
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.
"A mulched bed of naturalized Angraecum species is part of the permanent orchid collection at the Atlanta Botanical Garden."
Orchid hobbyists, by nature, can’t resist buying one more plant.
The lure is too great. Every few months, new varieties hit the marketplace. Fantastic colors, patterns, and fragrances – each designed to entice.
And when that new plant is obtained, it has to fit in someone’s house. Yet each windowsill, plant rack, and bay window may be full.
Q) What can you tell me about Merriweather Post’s orchid collection? Aaron T.
A) The name Merriweather Post is often mentioned in connection with the famed music pavilion near Washington D.C. or for the popular line of breakfast cereals that includes Grape Nuts Flakes. However not many people know that Marjorie Merriweather Post maintained extensive orchid greenhouses which held one of the largest private collections in the United States.
