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‘Jewels of Winter’ on display at Fellows Riverside Gardens
Fellows Riverside gardens Exhibit showcases orchids as
YOUNGSTOWN
Fellows Riverside Gardens is offering visitors a cure for the winter blues: winter blooms.
The gardens’ annual “Jewels of Winter” orchid exhibit now is on display at the D.D. and Velma Davis Education & Visitor Center through March 13.
The display features an assortment of roughly 250 orchids of varied genus and cultivar.
“The reason why we like to put them on display is because they typically last two to six months. ... [They’re] kind of hard to kill. That’s why people like to grow them,” said Andrew Pratt, assistant horticulture director.
“These are our jewels that are on display throughout the winter months,” he said. “Because of the doldrums of winter, we like to have the flashiest, showiest on display.”
The display bursts with lush, tropical colors, from deep, vibrant purple petals to citrus-orange blooms.
One of Pratt’s personal favorites, he said, is a purple-and-white oncidium that is know for smelling like chocolate – an appealing aroma that wafts from the plant from several feet away.
Orchids are highly hybridized; there are roughly 30,000 orchid species, Pratt said. They are native mostly in tropical climates.
Pratt highlighted a few types during an interview, such as the phalaenopsis, one of the most common and easy to grow, he said.
The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
Mill Creek MetroParks will have other orchid-related programming, such as orchid-care classes, while the exhibit runs. The gardens will host a free “Orchid Walk-Up Clinic” from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday.
For information, visit www.millcreekmetroparks.org, or call Fellows Riverside Gardens at 330-740-7116.