2015 Orchid Show Tells the Story of Vanilla - the Orchid in Everyone's Kitchen

Visitors to the 2015 Orchid Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden will encounter an exotic bloom that has a place in most kitchens. Vanilla, the world's most popular flavoring, comes from Vanilla planifolia, the only orchid of roughly 30,000 known species to have agricultural value. The show will trace the history of vanilla from its origins with the Totonaco people of Mexico, and depict the vanilla-making process from blossom to bottle.

The Orchid Show, opening February 14 and continuing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through March 15, 2015, will also offer respite from the Chicago winter. Stunning displays of more than 10,000 blooms will fill the Greenhouses and exhibition spaces of Regenstein Center with exotic fragrance and vibrant colors of yellow, orange, red, pink, purple and blue. Bamboo will serve as a light and airy motif uniting the exhibition, designed to immerse visitors in a tropical paradise.

The 2015 show builds on the success of the Garden's first month-long orchid exhibition presented last year. "People really responded to the idea of an escape from winter into the world of orchids," said Harriet Resnick, vice president of business experience and visitor development. "We are excited to recreate the sense of a tropical getaway and give our visitors an infusion of color and warmth."

Both Krehbiel Gallery and Nichols Hall will display beautiful arrangements of orchids that visitors can admire on their way to the ticketed galleries housing most of the breathtaking exhibition. Nichols Hall will also serve as the setting for free public events taking place during the show. Admission is $10 for adults; and $8 for seniors ages 62 and older and children ages 3 to 12. Children 2 and younger are free. Members receive $2 off each ticket. Bank of America customers can take advantage of a special BOGO offer: Buy one ticket for entry to the Orchid Show with any Bank of America-identified credit/debit card and get one ticket free (free ticket is equal or lesser value, on-site purchases only). Visitors can also register for several special events taking place throughout the exhibition.

Entering through Krehbiel Gallery, visitors will be greeted by clusters of beautiful orchids suspended over a long reflecting pool. Photographic images of orchids will decorate long walls of the gallery, which will also house a ticket kiosk and gift shop selling orchid-related merchandise, including gift items designed by Garden staff.

The adjoining Nichols Hall will feature an allée of palms supporting bursts of yellow Oncidium and bright purple-and-pink Phalaenopsis orchids. The scene will create a beautiful backdrop for a series of morning concerts, a weekend orchid marketplace and the Illinois Orchid Society Show & Sale-all complimentary events.

Morning Music with the Orchids performances will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. on February 17, 19, 24 and 26, and March 3, 5, 10 and 12. Follow this link for performance details: chicagobotanic.org/interest/music/morning_music.

The orchid marketplace will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday from February 14 through March 15. Orchids and orchid-related merchandise will be available for purchase, and visitors can bring in orchids for repotting. Members of the Illinois Orchid Society will be on hand to answer questions.

The Illinois Orchid Society Show & Sale, taking place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15, is a great opportunity to learn more about growing orchids at home. Artistic orchid arrangements will be on display, and visitors can see individual orchid entries vying for ribbons in 128 classes. The "best in show" will receive the Chicago Horticultural Society Award from American Orchid Society judges. Adults and children can participate in orchid-based family activities. Vendors will sell orchids, books and bags of a special Illinois Orchid Society potting mix.

The Orchid Show is a mecca for photographers seeking to capture the flowers' ethereal beauty, using everything from mobile phones to the most sophisticated camera equipment. For safety reasons, tripods and unipods will be permitted in the show on Wednesdays only. Groups of up to 20 people can have exclusive access to the show from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. Sunday, February 15, through Sunday, March 15. The fee is $300 and includes parking. Photos can be entered in the Garden's Orchid Show Photo Contest.

A special rare book exhibition, Orchidelirium: Illustrated Orchidaceae, featuring volumes of orchid illustrations, will be on display at the Lenhardt Library from February 14 through April 19, 2015. A free library talk on the exhibition will take place at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24, and Sunday, March 1, 2015.

Ticketed guests can continue through the Bridge Gallery, lined with bamboo poles and orchids, and edged with reed orchids and grassy foliage. The passage opens to Joutras Gallery, which will feature a reflecting pool lined with ferns, vines, mosses and lady slipper orchids. Stands of bamboo poles in each corner will support a canopy of yellow and pinkish-yellow Phalaenopsis orchids. Lady slipper orchids will grow at ground level, while vines suspended from the ceiling will draw the eye toward bunches of purple Phalaenopsis.

Orchid tree structures will decorate the west and east sections of the Greenhouse Gallery, and the south section will feature a second palm allée supporting lime-green Cymbidium orchids, and clusters of bamboo-holding orchids. The Gallery gives way to the Greenhouses, filled floor to ceiling with orchids growing in the ground and staged on trees and hanging structures reminiscent of lanterns. Visitors will enjoy the feeling of being surrounded by warmth, color and fragrance.

The following special events will take place throughout the show:

An opening night cocktail party, organized by the Woman's Board to raise funds for the Chicago Botanic Garden, will take place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 13. Tickets are $125 and include cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and admission to the exhibition.

Members' Night, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25, provides special hours, entertainment and refreshments for members only. Regular ticket fees apply.

Evening with Orchids cocktail tasting is from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 12. Advance tickets are $25; day-of tickets are $28. Members receive $5 off each ticket.

Orchid-themed classes will be offered for families and adults in conjunction with the show. Adults can learn more about growing orchids on their windowsill, creative ways of displaying orchids, photographing orchids, Asian brush painting meditation on orchids and more. Weekend family classes on Saturday, February 21, or Sunday, March 1, will allow children and adults to get an up-close look at the vanilla seed and make a batch of vanilla-flavored ice cream. Fees and registration are required. To learn more, follow this link: chicagobotanic.org/education.

Orchids can be purchased in a post-show sale held in Nichols Hall. Members only can shop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 19. The sale will open to the general public, as long as supplies last, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, March 20, and Saturday, March 21.

The Orchid Show is generously supported by Bank of America.