Precious Blossoms

The sad specimens on the shelf at your grocery store don’t do justice to the notoriously high-maintenance and sorely misunderstood orchid. With endless colors, and sizes ranging from as small as a dime to as large as a human, these ancient plants hold mysteries that are still being unraveled. Eight acres of exotic beauties will be vying for attention today at the sixth annual International Orchid Festival at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

Join South Florida’s vibrant community of orchid lovers for an American Orchid Society juried show, educational lectures, demonstrations by the Orchid Society of Coral Gables, and, of course, food and music. Because prices for these floral charmers start around ten dollars, you might be seduced into taking one home to test your gardening skills. If you can peel your eyes away from the Orchidaceae, tour the rest of garden as well as outdoor sculptures by Chihuly, Lichtenstein, and Botero. The orchids take over Fairchild on Saturday and today, and doors are open from 9:30 to 4:30.
Sun., March 2, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., 2008