We became members of the North Carolina Arboretum not long after moving to Western North Carolina. “The North Carolina Arboretum is a 426-acre public garden located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest of the Pisgah National Forest. Surrounded by the dense folds of the botanically diverse Southern Appalachian Mountains, the Arboretum is nestled in one of the most beautiful natural garden settings in America.“ The grounds are beautiful and provide for wonderful meditative walking or hiking. During the past five+ years, we have enjoyed various programs and courses offered. We often take visiting guests there.
One of our favorite annual events is the Arboretum Orchid Show. This year was the 8th annual show. and it was as impressive as always. The orchid show is a feast for the eyes. I kept snapping pictures trying to capture something of the beauty. The variety of unique colors, shapes and sizes are such a delight to see. The entry displays are put together with amazing artistry.
I’m the indoor gardener in the family and orchids are one of my favorite plants. I always wanted to have orchids, but never did until we retired.
We added a small room off of the old dining room. We put in a picture window and side window that open up most of the back wall. There is another large window on one side wall and a door with window on the other side wall. This room works well for orchids. I have about a dozen gathered on an antique table under the picture window.
The antique table was left to me by my mother’s oldest sister who was my beloved Godmother as well my aunt. It was her dining room table given to her by my grandfather. My grandfather worked in law enforcement all his life and when I was a child, his work with the state of VA involved finding moonshine stills and putting them out of business. The table is drop-leaf Victorian and made of walnut with beautiful detail on the legs. The story that was passed down with the table is that it was found during a moonshine raid. It was on the front porch of a shack way back in the woods and covered with mud. My grandfather had it refinished and gave it to his oldest daughter who left it to me. It has several leaves that are not in use while it serves as the table for my orchids.
I still have a lot to learn about orchids. That is one of the joys of the Orchid show. In addition to the wonderful displays of plants entered for judging, in another room, there are a number of vendors that come from several states and they are more than willing to talk to you about orchids and caring for them.
I adore the beauty of orchids. I was tempted to buy more than a few at the orchid show. I restrained myself and only bought one. It is just beginning to bloom and has two stalks of buds that will bloom with petals with mixed hues of red and faint yellow. One of the things I appreciate the most about orchids is that when they are blooming, their blooms last for months. When my new orchid is in full bloom, I’ll post a picture of it on my treasured antique table.
For more information on the North Carolina Arboretum go to: http://www.ncarboretum.org/default.htm
CAIRO — Several thousand women demanding the end of military rule marched through downtown Cairo on Tuesday evening in an extraordinary expression of anger over images of soldiers beating, stripping and kicking female demonstrators in Tahrir Square.
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Posted by: Calvin Klein | December 21, 2011 at 12:27 AM