The Orchid Show at NYBG: 7,000 Blooms and Growing Tips for Home

There's a moment in the 2002 Charlie Kaufman film Adaptation, based on Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief, when a toothless orchid hunter wades through chest-high swamp water searching for the rare Ghost Orchid. You initially think, "All this for a plant?" But the more you learn about orchids — and stare into their mesmerizing flowering faces — you begin to understand their almost spiritual hold on people.

The lush, vibrant, sensually shaped forms of orchids and their seemingly endless varieties — some 30,000 naturally occurring species, the largest family of flowering plants — make them somewhat mythical. If you're in New York between now and April 22, 2013, you can see more than 7,000 orchids at The Orchid Show at The New York Botanical Garden, the country's largest curated orchid exhibition.

The exhibition takes place in the garden's Victorian-style glass house — the largest of its kind in the country — and includes orchids, aroids, ferns, bromeliads, epiphytic cacti, and more.

Info: The Orchid Show, The New York Botanical Garden; March 2–April 22, 2013; open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. (closed some holidays); $10–$25

Unique this year: incorporation of Hurricane Sandy–damaged trees as design elements and supports for tree-dwelling plants.

How to Start Your Own Orchid Display at Home

You can purchase orchids in almost any city. The most common type is the Moth Orchid (shown), which garden designer and author Jenny Peterson says is among the easiest to maintain indoors. Often available at supermarkets or Home Depot, Moth Orchids aren't as finicky as exotic varieties sold only at specialized nurseries requiring exacting conditions and humidity control. But the payoff — crazy petal patterns and color combinations — is always worth it.

Peterson's Moth Orchid Maintenance Tips

• Moth Orchids typically come potted in special high-peat soil mix, or you can grow them on tree bark.
• Always place in indirect sunlight. South- or east-facing window is best.
• Maintain moderate temperature, 75–85°F. Even in air-conditioned spaces, an orchid near a semi-sunny window will be fine.
• Don't overwater! Common suggestion: water every 7–10 days, but Peterson recommends only twice monthly — about half a cup on the 1st and 15th. For bark-grown versions, mist bark or submerge bark piece weekly.
• Fertilize monthly with special orchid blend. Give bark-grown orchids high-nitrogen fertilizer.
• Don't give up. Consistent conditions and care are key — orchids thrive on routine. Blooms last months, and continued care after bloom death should yield rebloom in a few months.

Do you grow orchids? We'd love to see them!