Happy Friday GPODers!
Last month we had two guest posts from Fine Gardening‘s digital editor, Christine Alexander, who shared some behind-the-scenes photos from a fall video shoot at Coastal Maine Botanical Garden (If you missed those, be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2). Today, Christine is taking us to a drastically different public garden, as we revisit her trip to Monteverde Orchid Garden in Costa Rica. This hidden gem is located in the lush (and rare) cloud forests of the Puntarenas province, which are teaming with biodiversity and the perfect climate for this fabulous array of exotic, tropical plants.
So this submission is very late in coming, but as an excuse–there has been a lot going on! My husband and I were supposed to be married in 2021, but due to covid we ended up postponing it from June of that year to May of 2022. Despite this, we decided to keep our planned honeymoon to Costa Rica on August of 2021. At that time, cases were low and we desperately needed a break from all of the stress the pandemic has wrought.
Costa Rica was so beautiful and it was such a special trip that we ended up eloping while we were there. I have probably 500 photos I could share of the beauty of that country but I decided to send you something kind of cool that we accidentally ran into which is the Monteverde Orchid Garden. Despite working at Fine Gardening for 7 years, I have to admit I didn’t know much about orchids and was astounded to learn some of the specifics that make them special – for instance, many orchids have exclusive relationships with a specific pollinator, that they have developed incredible ways to lure insects into their flowers for pollination such as mimicking the scent of pheromones of the opposite sex or even the smell of rotting flesh all in an effort to attract insects to pollinate them. Other orchids are noted for their highly floral or sweet scent and are often used in perfumery as a result. The cooking ingredient vanilla actually comes from an orchid, the Vanilla planifolia. (You can learn how to grow your own vanilla orchid here).
The Monteverde Orchid garden has over 450 varieties or orchids, including the smallest orchids in the world – which we needed a magnifying glass to view. It is a small garden, but packed full of flowers and information. Highly recommend checking it out if you are an orchidist or have orchidelirium, (the history of which is fascinating!)
More on orchids:
We’re starting off small (I think either a type of Rudolfiella or Polystachya), but not as small as they get! As Christine mentioned, Monteverde Orchid Garden is home to some of the world’s smallest orchids, and the tiniest specimens need a very good lens and the perfect lighting to be able to capture more than a blurry speck of color. To see their tiniest blooms, be sure to check out the Monteverde Orchid Garden Instagram: @monteverdeorchidgarden.
And a disclaimer: Orchids are one of the largest plant families in the world, with over 25,000 different species that have wildly diverse characteristics. It is no small feat to become well-versed in the world of orchids, and it takes years of dedication to be an expert. I tried my best to identify all of the orchids shown, but I apologize in advance for any plants I incorrectly label. If you’re looking to dig a little deeper into orchids, I encourage you to seek out other great resources available like the American Orchid Society.
When most of us think of orchids, the image of big, colorful blooms on top of a thin stem likely comes to mind. The moth orchids (Phalaenopsis spp. and cvs., Zones 10–12) and similar species that make an appearance in grocery stores at least once every year. However, this diverse plant family is full of a wide variety of plant forms. The zigzag of overlapping leaves on the Oersted’s lockhartia (Lockhartia oerstedii) give the plant a fabulous texture.
Another form that doesn’t immediately come to mind when we think ‘orchid’, the foliage of Maxillaria valenzuela fans out and creates a spectacular shape when hanging or potted. Of course, hanging from a tree in its natural environment gives you the added bonus of seeing those spectacular roots at work!
The Lycaste genus of orchids have very distinct, long sepals that contrast the colors of the petals. If you look toward the base of the plant in the background you’ll see another Lycaste identifier, their other-worldly egg-shaped pseudobulbs.
We all know insects that masquerade as plants, but have you ever seen a plant that could be mistaken for a pollinator? The aptly named Kramer’s butterfly orchid (Psychopsis krameriana) appears to have wings, long antenna, and even a spooky little face if you look closely.
Of course, orchids aren’t the only flowers you’ll see at Monteverde Orchid Garden. Even the humble hardy fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica, Zones 5–10) looks extra spectacular in this tropical forest environment.
Like the Maxillaria valenzuela we saw above, many orchids are made even more enthralling by their ability to hang and grow from trees and other plant structures. This hanging is not only a visual appeal, but often a crucial part of the survival of the plant. Stanhopea wardii uses this hanging as well as their unique shape and coloring to mimic the female euglossine bee. The orchid does this so well that male euglossine bees are actually tricked into pollinating!
And although orchids are often staked and supported for blooms to be upright, there are several species with flowers that will spill even when grown in a traditional container. Helmut gongora (Gongora galeata) is one of those species, with its odd string of curling blooms.
Another example is densely flowered acineta (Acineta densa), with clusters of glossy yellow blooms. I also love that the orchid’s buds look like the largest green grapes you’ve ever seen.
A closer look at Acineta densa reveals the speckled red petals hidden inside.
While orchids are obviously the highlight of this garden, there are many other tropical plants to be seen. Thankfully, we have another batch of fantastic photos from Christine to enjoy next week. In the mean time, remember to check out @monteverdeorchidgarden on Instagram.
If you have photos of past travels (from last year or the last several years), winter is a great time to reminisce and revel in warmer days. If you decide to go through any old photos this weekend, consider sharing any garden photos with the blog! Follow the directions below to submit your photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad. Have a fantastic weekend!
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Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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