I picked up the Select Seeds catalog and stopped dead in my tracks. Facing me from the second page was a gorgeous intergeneric hybrid called ×Digiplexis ILLUMINATION® ‘Flame’. The name will make sense just as soon as I explain its heritage, and wipe away any thought of ’70s disco dancers you may be entertaining at the moment.
You have heard me use the term intergeneric hybrids before, when I have discussed orchids. Intergeneric hybrids are crosses between closely related genera. A well-known example in the orchid world is ×Laeliocattleya, which is a cross between a Laelia and a Cattleya. In the case of ×Digiplexis, it is a cross between a foxglove (Digitalis) and Isoplexis, which is a shrub-like, short-lived perennial (zone 9 – 11) from the Canary Islands and Madeira.
Isoplexis typically grows up to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It has foot-long upright flower spikes that are densely covered with tubular flowers, each a blend of vermillion, rust, and gold. Its common name, cresta de gallo, alludes to the fact that it is reminiscent of a cockscomb. The plant was originally thought to have been pollinated by sunbirds, having since been replaced by Canary Island Chiffchaffs and other warblers.
This Thursday, March 20, is the exciting culmination of our 14th Annual Winter Lecture Series. Our final speaker will be Thomas Rainer, an accomplished landscape architect who teaches planting design for the George Washington University Landscape Design program. He has worked on projects such as the U.S. Capitol grounds, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and The New York Botanical Garden, but he is happiest puttering in his small garden at home in Washington, D.C.
It’s true, Thomas Rainer isn’t crossing any oceans to visit the Garden as our previous two speakers did, but professional and amateur gardeners will relate to Rainer’s personal journey. On Grounded Design, his award–winning blog, Rainer charts his process of discovery towards ever-better planting designs and methods. Click through to see his impressive designs.
Happy St. Pat’s from every green flower we can muster here at the NYBG! It’s no four-leafed clover, but this Cymbidium has a lucky green hue down pat. Find more on our Instagram feed as we make our way through this year’s Orchid Show: Key West Contemporary, and if you’re headed out tonight, remember: moderation in all things!
The crocus is a real early bird, one of the first to bloom when winter is at its end. Paired with the snowdrops we have already seen, it’s a good sign.
Crocus in the Seasonal Walk – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
There are many ways to explore the Garden this weekend, whether on the brisk, sunny grounds or in the enchanting warmth of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where The Orchid Show: Key West Contemporary is in full bloom. Among our exciting programs this week are our regular Orchid Demonstrations. This weekend our experts will focus on fragrant orchids. While these gorgeous flowers brighten up any home, you can also explore which orchids have the best scent. You can treat all your senses this weekend with a specialty cocktail at Saturday’s Orchid Evening. Tomorrow’s brand new recipe is called “The Desert Flower”—read on to find out its delicious ingredients!
Don’t forget that this Saturday is also a Members Day in celebration of The Orchid Show! Members of the Garden will enjoy free parking and special discounts at the Dining Pavilion and Shop in the Garden—not to mention half-off admission for their friends and family! It has never been a better time to join, and if you are already a member this is the weekend to bring your loved ones on an excursion to the Garden. You can learn more about Members Day and the benefits of membership at nybg.org/membership.
Click through for the full weekend schedule of adult and children’s programs!
Kristin Schleiter is the NYBG’s Associate Vice President of Outdoor Gardens and Senior Curator. She oversees the wonderful gardening team that keeps our flowering gardens looking topnotch, curates the herbaceous gardens and collections, and manages the curator of woody plants. She lives and gardens in Fairfield, CT.
Every February, I can be found on my knees in the Garden poking and prodding and looking for signs that my beloved snowdrops are coming up to signal the beginning of spring. Pushing aside the snow, I see small green noses forcing their way up for a whiff of warm air. Even a single sunny day can bring forth elegant white blossoms which have a lovely honey scent. The spring’s earliest snowdrops, Galanthus elwesii, are blooming now in the Perennial and Azalea Gardens. Their glaucous blue foliage and large flowers create a much nicer drift of white.
Keep an eye out for Darwin’s famed star orchid when you visit Orchid Evenings this weekend. You might even be able to make out the feature that made this bloom such an evolutionary puzzle for decades on end.
Darwin’s Star Orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale) in the Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
For about a week now the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory has been plunged in the colorful escape of The Orchid Show: Key West Contemporary. Our first Orchid Evening already took place last Saturday, and visitors have been pouring in to see the many varieties of orchids on display since the exhibit opened on March 1.
The day before it opened to the public, Kevin Character stopped by Members Day, where Garden Members were enjoying an exclusive preview of The Orchid Show. Early reviews were very encouraging. Some members called it the best Orchid Show yet, and they should know! Click through for this exclusive video tour of the unique design concept and varied special programs surrounding The Orchid Show: Key West Contemporary.
