Just beyond the glass of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where clouds of tropical orchids form a colorful interpretation of Key West’s wholly original island atmosphere, you’ll enter a world of poetry. More than a canvas for some of spring’s earliest blooms, the Perennial Garden is also home to theOrchid Show‘s written verse (because the flowers speak so eloquently for themselves). There you’ll find placards displaying some of the finest writing to come out of the Florida Keys, from expatriate poets as diverse as James Merrill, Richard Wilbur, and Elizabeth Bishop—all of whom found a second home near the Southernmost Point.
Not content to let these works stand alone, we enlisted some of the country’s brightest modern poets to lend their voices to their predecessors’ pens. This Sunday, April 6, join us for our once-only Key West Poetry Reading as these published writers recite the lyrical legacy of warmer climates. And if you haven’t already paid a visit to The Orchid Show: Key West Contemporary, now is as good a time as any!
Our cadre of visiting poets certainly doesn’t lack for skill or accomplishments, as you’ll see below.
Realizing that you don’t have to get up early on Sunday morning is a singular sort of joy, I think. It means you’re free to do whatever you feel like on Saturday night! And because we have as much of a soft spot for drinks and music as anyone, we’re once again opening our gates to the party scene this weekend. If you’re up for cocktails and chill rhythms under the lights and color of the Conservatory, our latest Orchid Evening is your destination.
Tickets are still available for the event kicking off this Saturday night, March 22, and this time around we’re pairing the flamboyant Key West color of 2014’s Orchid Show with the equally effervescent flavors of orange, prosecco, and pomegranate. Think of the Pomegranate Sparkler as a drink for people who want all the flavor and none of the tedious peeling. Better yet, if you’ve got a MasterCard, you can make an even bigger night of it by attending our Priceless NY pre-party in the NYBG’s Shop in the Garden with champagne and special discounts on a wide selection of live orchids.
For about a week now the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory has been plunged in the colorful escape of The Orchid Show: Key West Contemporary. Our first Orchid Evening already took place last Saturday, and visitors have been pouring in to see the many varieties of orchids on display since the exhibit opened on March 1.
The day before it opened to the public, Kevin Character stopped by Members Day, where Garden Members were enjoying an exclusive preview of The Orchid Show. Early reviews were very encouraging. Some members called it the best Orchid Show yet, and they should know! Click through for this exclusive video tour of the unique design concept and varied special programs surrounding The Orchid Show: Key West Contemporary.
Walking through the Ross Gallery on my way to the office each morning, I like to pause a moment and admire the greenery clothing the walls. There’s no vertical garden on display, per se. Rather, the photography of Allan Pollok-Morris is so verdant as to come close to imitating one. His compositions of Scottish countrysides, estate gardens, and landscape sculpture depict a depth of color and foliage that we seldom see on the left side of the Atlantic, and there’s a grandeur to each image that belies the “humble ruggedness” many default to when discussing Scotland.
To give you a refresher of what you’ve been missing out on if you haven’t yet made a stop to see this photo exhibition, I put together a slideshow of some of Allan’s iconic works hanging now in the Ross Gallery. Each photograph depicts the landscapes, sculptures, or gardens of a designer living or working in Scotland—natives and expats alike.
We wrapped up our first week of The Orchid Show: Key West Contemporary over the weekend, and we already have the first Orchid Evening event under our belts. The Orchid Show this year takes its inspiration from a garden designed by Raymond Jungles for an estate garden in Key West, whisking us away to Florida’s tropical climate. We bedecked the geometric reflecting pools, soaring angular pergolas, and sleek benches of this modern residence with hundreds of orchids! With so many varieties on view, the final effect is dazzling. For a burst of color on this March afternoon, click through for a look at The Orchid Show in all its glory.
There are an estimated 30,000 naturally occurring orchid species and tens of thousands of artificially created hybrids. We couldn’t possibly have room for all of them, but there is a stunning array on display at the Conservatory, and thousands of types in the Garden’s permanent collection.
Our annual Orchid Show begins this weekend, carrying us off to the warmth and greenery of Key West. I myself have eaten hearts of palm in Key West, toured Ernest Hemingway’s home, and gone swimming and sunbathing, but I never took the time to stop and admire the island’s orchids. On the key, the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens combine history and nature for the avid naturalist, showcasing a one-acre garden full of native and exotic orchids.
Florida boasts a large and diverse population of orchids owing to its climate, which ranges from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. These variations support temperate and tropical orchids, respectively. Many epiphytic orchids that colonize the southern portion of the state, including Key West, are indigenous to the Caribbean and southern tropical regions.
It’s little more than a week ’til we throw the spotlight on The Orchid Show: Key West Contemporary. The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is a flurry of activity. New installations—of display architecture, of flowers in bunches and bundles—are going up daily, and while Tropical Paradise continues through this Sunday, February 23, you can be sure you’ll see hints of the exhibition to come if you visit our famed glasshouse now. You might not catch any Hemingway lookalikes riding by on scooters just yet, but make no mistake: the Florida Keys are coming to New York on March 1!
Karen Daubmann, our Associate Vice President for Exhibitions, joined us in the Conservatory not long ago to catch us up on the show’s progress. She also gave us a little peek into the inspirations behind this year’s exhibition, including the reflecting pools and modernist pergolas of the Susan Henshaw Jones Garden down in Key West. We’ll have more “Making Of” videos like this one in the coming weeks, so have a look to get a taste of what’s on the horizon.
Something tells me we’ve all had our fill and then some of polar vortices, luge-like sidewalks, and the inevitable, near-weekly session with the snow shovel. And winter fashion is fun, but let’s be real: donning four layers to hit the corner bodega is getting to be a headache. Thankfully, whether or not Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, there’s hope on the horizon. And it’s bringing orchids.
As I write this, our winter sanctuary—Tropical Paradise in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory—is shedding its late-season colors for the vibrant return of the year’s most flamboyant exhibition. Thousands of orchids in fuchsia, chartreuse, and vivid purple are warming up in the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections, readying for the main act under the dome of our famed glasshouse. This year’s theme is a memorable one, too, especially if you’re prone to bouts of lazing in hammocks, sipping salt-rimmed margaritas in the shade of a coconut palm.
The Holiday Train Show at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory may have attracted record numbers of visitors this season, but just outside in the Conservatory Courtyard you’ll find four spectacular, 15-foot-high sculptures that are—in my honest opinion—not to be missed! And yet, some visitors may forget that the indoor attractions like the upcoming Tropical Paradise exhibition aren’t the only ones the Conservatory has to offer. Open the exterior doors on the side of the Palm Dome pool opposite the entrance and you’ll see the Four Seasons in all their winter (and spring, and summer, and fall) majesty. They’ll be there through March 30! For my part, I plan on visiting them regularly, because they not only represent the seasons of the year, but seem to constantly change moods depending on the weather and time of day.
The sculptures were inspired by the genius of Italian Renaissance painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who came to prominence around 500 years ago. No matter your age, you too will be inspired by these pieces, especially when considering the work that contemporary artist Philip Haas undertook to transform them from paintings into monumental 3D portraits. They seem so alive that you might not realize they’re actually composite fiberglass representations of various plant materials, not dissimilar to the models of New York buildings in the Train Show, which use real plant parts to form famous architecture.
Around this time of year, right when winter digs in ahead of the spring thaw, we like to pack up the model trains and some of the holiday lights to focus on what can only be called island escapism. Of course, we’re not expecting anyone to shell out a huge sum of cash for a red-eye to the Caribbean! Instead, we’re bringing the warm weather to New York City. Though I suppose you could say we’ve always had it. Beginning Saturday, January 18, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory‘s permanent collection of tropical plants becomes an even bigger Garden highlight during Tropical Paradise, with special events and activities planned to help you ditch the galoshes and scarves for some time in the rain forest. And the photographers among you—novice and veteran alike—should take note!
The past few years have seen a number of rising stars among local photographers taking part in our annual Tropical Paradise photography contest, but there’s always room for a new face on the winner’s podium. And if you’re thinking of taking part, don’t worry—there’s more than just street cred’ up for grabs. We’re offering each of the two grand prize winners a seat in an Adult Education photography course of their choice. And, yes, I did say two winners. The only motivation you need is to find paradise in the natural beauty of the Conservatory, and share that vision with the community of fellow photographers.
Just beyond the glass of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where clouds of tropical orchids form a colorful interpretation of Key West’s wholly original island atmosphere, you’ll enter a world of poetry. More than a canvas for some of spring’s earliest blooms, the Perennial Garden is also home to the Orchid Show‘s written verse (because the flowers speak so eloquently for themselves). There you’ll find placards displaying some of the finest writing to come out of the Florida Keys, from expatriate poets as diverse as James Merrill, Richard Wilbur, and Elizabeth Bishop—all of whom found a second home near the Southernmost Point.
It’s little more than a week ’til we throw the spotlight on 
Something tells me we’ve all had our fill and then some of polar vortices, luge-like sidewalks, and the inevitable, near-weekly session with the snow shovel. And winter fashion is fun, but let’s be real: donning four layers to hit the corner bodega is getting to be a headache. Thankfully, whether or not Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, there’s hope on the horizon. And it’s bringing orchids.
