One of the most well-known annual flowers to stand an annual flower garden design is that of the orchids. Orchids have been valued for millenniums. Evidence suggests that the Chinese were growing them more than 4,000 years ago. On the other side of the world, Montezuma, who ruled what is now Mexico from 1502 to 1520, reportedly cultivated several species of orchids. However, it was not until the 1800’s that the quest for these plants increased dramatically.

In 1818 a man in England named William Cattley received a shipment of tropical plants from Brazil. In the packing material, he noticed plant parts that looked like roots. After planting them, he was delighted when they produced a beautiful purple bloom. This particular type of orchid is now known as the Cattleya.

During the 1800’s, it was a fashion of the rich to collect unique orchids. New specimens in particular could command an exorbitant price. By the turn of the century, however, the orchid craze had diminished. Then it resumed decades later when inexpensive methods of artificially propagating orchids were discovered. Now anyone could enjoy these exotic flowers!

The Many Choices of Approach to Handling Annual Flower Garden Design Creation

With as many as 20,000 species throughout the world, the orchid family may be the largest flowering plant family. They are found practically everywhere, from the Arctic Circle to semi-desert regions. While some orchids are found in treetops at an altitude of 10,000 feet in the Andes Mountains, others—such as those in Australia—spend most of their plant life underground.

Orchids come in all sizes and colors and with all kinds of aromas. In Papua New Guinea, some measure many feet high and weigh up to two tons. Others, with flowers the size of the head of a needle, can easily fit inside a thimble. Some orchids grow rooted in the soil, while the majority (called epiphytes) grows on trees or other plants. There are orchids that perfume the air with the faint smell of coconuts or raspberries, while others smell like decaying meat.

Some might ask, ‘Could all these different flowers be from the same family?’ Even with such incredible variation, two features distinguish orchids from other flowering plants. First, orchids have a distinct petal arrangement. Second, orchids have a column that uniquely fuses the male and female reproductive organs.

With all the wide array of choices from the different orchids around the world, it is sure that you would be able to find one particular specie of the said plant that would best fit your planned annual flower garden design. With the right choice, it would surely be much simpler for you to take good care of your garden that has been created through an effectively planned annual flower garden design. Later, you would sure benefit from the joys of taking your own flower garden design photos that would remain as proofs of your efforts as a gardener.