Chicago Botanic Garden show focuses on orchids
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 Saturday, Feb. 14, and continuing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through March 15, 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 fragrances 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.
Both Krehbiel Gallery and Nichols Hall will display arrangements of orchids that visitors can admire on their way to the ticketed galleries housing most of the exhibition. Nichols Hall will also serve as the setting for free public events taking place during the show.
Admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors ages 62 and older and children ages 3-12; free for kids 2 and younger. 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 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 backdrop for a series of morning concerts, a weekend orchid marketplace and the Illinois Orchid Society Show and Sale - all complimentary events.
Morning Music with the Orchids performances will be from 10-11 a.m. Feb. 17, 19, 24 and 26, and March 3, 5, 10 and 12. For performance details, visit chicagobotanic.org/interest/music/morning_music.
The orchid marketplace will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Feb. 14 to 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 and Sale, taking place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15, is an 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.
For safety reasons, camera 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, Feb. 15, through Sunday, March 15. The fee is $300 and includes parking. Photos can be entered in the 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 Feb. 14 through April 19. A free library talk on the exhibition will take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, and Sunday, March 1.
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 5-7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13. Tickets are $125 and include cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and admission to the exhibition.
• Members' Night, from 5-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, provides special hours, entertainment and refreshments for members only. Regular ticket fees apply.
• Evening with Orchids cocktail tasting is from 6-8 p.m. 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 Saturday, Feb. 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, visit 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. Thursday, March 19. The sale will open to the general public, as long as supplies last, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, March 20, and Saturday, March 21.