Spring Is in the Air…and the Tropics Are in the Bronx

Spring may be just around the corner, if this weekend's weather forecast is any indication, but you can guarantee a dose of the tropics by jetting to the New York Botanical Garden for its orchid show.
Opening just in the last week, "The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower" was designed by Cuban-born landscape architect Jorge Sanchez who drew upon his childhood to create "the charm of the city of Havana, infused with Caribbean rhythm and romance," according to the Botanical Garden's Web site. One exhibit evokes Cuba's Soroa Orchidarium, "a botanical garden dedicated to education and the cultivation and conservation of the world's orchids," according to the Botanical Garden's Jessica Blohm. The Orchidarium is tucked within the biosphere reserve Sierra del Rosario and maintained by the University of Pinar del Rio. (Here is a Flickr feed of images from Cuba's Soroa Orchidarium.)
Last spring I ventured up to the Garden shortly after it opened its annual spring flower show which showcased hundreds of tulips in honor of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's arrival in today's New York Harbor. Having gone early to that exhibit, I was able to catch a few lingering orchids from the 2009 show and highly recommend catching this one in its first few weeks.
To get you ready for your orchid adventure, Time Out New York, which says the show features "thousands of jaw-dropping orchids," has a wonderfully informative slideshow that walks readers through eight varieties of orchids and tells you where you can find each in the Botanical Garden's exhibit. You can also read this review of the show from The Journal News. And of course, you shouldn't forget to check out the gallery on the Garden's Web site which includes its own up-close photographs of orchids and videos of the exhibit's assembly.
The New York Botanical Garden is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. While members can get in for free, adult tickets are $20 and children's are $8. Senior citizens and students with valid IDs can get in for $18.
The above photo is by Matthew McDermott as posted on his Flickr stream. You can view more of his images from the orchid show here.

By Krista K. Schmidt
Contributor to New York Insider