February 2010

8th Annual Orchid Show Features
Thousands of Colorful Orchids

From late February through mid-April, The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower will feature iconic sites of Old Havana and the Cuban countryside, reimagined to evoke the history of the island while engulfing visitors in radiant flowers. With the popular show acclaimed as a “tour de force that leaves most visitors gasping with amazement and delight” and an “irresistible event” for the whole family, The New York Botanical Garden’s 8th annual exhibition will present a new theme, design, and experience, all the work of a new designer. Cuban-reared landscape architect Jorge Sánchez, of the Palm Beach firm Sánchez & Maddux, will set the stage for this season’s not-to-be missed showcase for garden lovers, orchid fans, history buffs, and those in need of a one-day tropical retreat from winter.

The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower in the landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory will feature thousands of brilliantly colored orchids set among architectural vignettes from Havana and the surrounding countryside. Welcoming visitors into the exhibition and to the Conservatory’s Palms of the Americas Gallery, which under its 90-foot dome houses the largest collection of New World palm trees under glass, will stand a handsome replica of the iconic tower and statue La Giraldilla.

The statue, one of the most representative symbols of the city of Havana, embodies history, art, and a legend of love. The statue and tower sit atop the Castillo de la Real Fuerza (Castle of the Royal Force), a defensive structure built quickly after an attack on the city by French pirates in 1538 and the oldest stone fortress in the Americas. Species and hybrid Oncidium orchids, commonly known as Dancing Lady, in purple, yellow, and white will surround La Giraldilla and pervade the Palms Gallery reflecting pool.

The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower is designed by the award-winning, Palm Beach-based landscape architecture firm Sánchez & Maddux. Jorge Sánchez, Principal, drew on his years growing up in Cuba and South Florida, and his decades of design work across the region to bring the Cuban history, landscape, and iconic architecture to life in the Botanical Garden’s glasshouse. “In a blending of architecture, design, landscape, and color, we wanted to create an experience for the visitor that was dramatic, vibrant, and colorful while introducing elements of the Cuban experience that evoke the feel and look of the landscape and the country that I knew as a child,” says Jorge Sánchez. Thomas Noel of Event Design Incorporated will fabricate the structural elements of the Sánchez & Maddux plan, where plants and design are in partnership.

In venues throughout its 250 acres, The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower offers visitors opportunities to learn about the Garden’s historic and ongoing orchid research, purchase orchids in the Shop in the Garden, receive care information from experts, take orchid-related courses ranging from a few hours to several days, and participate in family activities where children discover the orchid origins of vanilla. Check the Garden’s Web site at www.nybg.org for complete exhibition details.

© Shoreline Publishing 2010
629 Fifth Avenue, Suite 213, Pelham, NY 10803
Phone: 914-738-7869 Fax 914-738-7876
http://www.shorelinepub.com
prod@shorelinepub.com