Thousands of orchids will be on display as festival returns to Arboretum
Spring is here, and so, too, is the return of a flower tradition.
For the first time since 2019, the North Carolina Arboretum will partner with the Western North Carolina Orchid Society for the 22nd annual Asheville Orchid Festival. Visitors to the festival, held April 1 and 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., can expect to see thousands of orchids on display, many of which will be available for purchase from vendors.
“If you've never been to an orchid show, when you walk in you will be blown away by the incredible color and amount of orchids that you're going to see," said Graham Ramsey, president of the WNCOS and co-chair of the festival. "Whether you even know what an orchid is, it'll just blow your mind when you walk into that showroom.”
The WNCOS is a registered nonprofit organization founded in 1962 with the mission of giving orchid enthusiasts a space to learn and share. The Orchid Festival has historically been its largest event and also is one of the most highly attended events at the North Carolina Arboretum yearly. The festival has been on hold since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Mike Mims, chairman of the orchid festival, former president of the WNCOS and orchid enthusiast is looking forward to the event’s return. He described the opportunities visitors will have to view and purchase diverse, exotic plants and the supplies to care for them.
“(There will be) thousands of orchids on exhibit, thousands of orchids that are available for folks to purchase. South American house plants, aeroids, hoyas, anthuriums – all that stuff. It's just my opinion that this is going to be Asheville’s first chance to see these things and be able to buy them directly from the nurseries.”
On top of the displays and purchase opportunities, the festival will host guest speakers to provide information on the colorful world of orchids, and practical knowledge on how guests can care for their plants.
Ramsey said he is excited about a re-potting clinic at 2:15 p.m. both days and noted some of the other opportunities guests will have to learn and interact:
Ivan Portilla, vice president of Ecuadorian nursery Ecuagenera, will discuss “The Enchanting Orchards of Ecuador.”
Marc Burchette, curator of the Biltmore Conservatory orchid collection, will be leading a guided tour of the exhibits.
Bridget Uzar of Carter & Holmes Orchids will offer “Journey of an Orchid Seedpod” to provide guests with valuable information on the long process of caring for orchid seeds.
Though the pandemic made it impossible to hold the Orchid Festival, Mims observed some positive growth in the orchid enthusiast community during their break from the annual event. From 2019 to the present, Mims saw an influx of people interested in collecting and caring for plants. What was once an effective method of alleviating pandemic cabin fever has created a new wave of orchid lovers. Now, he hopes that those interested in the plants know that the WNCOS is a space for learning and community.
“What happened was this major rage of these kinds of plants that everybody is growing in their homes now sort of infiltrated the orchid show scene,” Mims said. “So what's happening now is we sort of have this cool vibe going where we're getting people that have been going really hard on plants for the past couple of years now learning a little something about orchids.”
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Ramsey said he hopes plant enthusiasts and visitors to the orchid festival will also considering attending a meeting of the WNCOS.
“You don't have to be an experienced, big-time orchid grower. You can have one plant on your windowsill,” Ramsey said. “And if you're interested, we want you to come and play with us and learn more and grow more.”
These free, public meetings commonly offer raffles for orchids and supplies, trips to orchid nurseries, expert guest speakers and show and tell sessions for members to display their currently blooming orchids. Meetings are generally held at 2 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month at the Asheville Visitor Center.
“Our desire has always been to promote and educate,” Mims said. “That's really what it's been about. Exposure, and trying to bring what we all like to do for fun into a venue where folks can come and see what it's all about.”
Showmanship will be in abundance at the festival. One aspect of that is hinted in the show’s “Orchid Express” flier: Ramsey has built a 24-foot train that will be loaded with colorful orchids to offer a unique display to the public.
Above all, the group of orchid lovers simply hopes to share their passion with the world, and bring joy and color to the lives of festival attendees.
“We feel that the Orchid Festival and everything that we try to provide throughout the weekend is sort of a reminder to folks to go back to having healthy hobbies, and that there's plenty of wonderful things even in this heated political world,” Mims said. “We can still have somewhere for common ground, and for folks to come in just for their love of flowers and nature.”
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Orchid Festival returns to North Carolina Arboretum
