Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Ninth Annual International Orchid Festival Scheduled at Miami's Iconic Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Get ready for an amazing display of orchids from around the world!

The International Orchid Festival, in its ninth year, is taking place at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 11, 12 and 13, from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The festival will feature more than 10,000 orchid plants and more than 50 orchid growers and vendors from around the world, who will exhibit and sell these magnificent plants—sure to delight both the orchid enthusiast and those new to the spectacular world of orchids.

The Orchid Society of Coral Gables will grace the Garden House with an American Orchid Society (AOS) juried show displaying orchids for visitors to marvel at throughout the weekend. The Orchid Society of Coral Gables will also provide advice and tips on growing orchids at the Get Growing booth on the Garden House lawn.

As always, the International Orchid Festival will include educational lectures, walking tours, live music, the Orchid Tea Room, and great food!

Amidst the exotic colors and shapes of orchids, guests will also have the opportunity to see Fairchild’s current art exhibition, Les Lalanne at Farichild, featuring more than 30 whimsical sculptures by Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne as well as Yoko Ono’s interactive Wishing Grove.

Schedule of lectures:
Friday, March 11
1 p.m.          Intro to Orchid Culture, Jill Sidran   
2 pm            Intro to Orchid Culture, Betty Eber 

Saturday, March 12
11 a.m.        Intro to Orchid Culture, Larry Cox    
12 p.m.        Intro to Orchid Culture, Jim Davison
1 p.m.          Repotting, Orchid Care, Alex Lamazares 
2:30 p.m.     Cultivo de Orquideas, Mirta Heineman 

Sunday, March 13
11 a.m.        Intro to Orchid Culture, Martin Mote, PhD 
12 p.m.        Intro to Orchid Culture, Dave Foster        
1 p.m.          Orchid Diseases & Their Control, Robert McMillan, PhD 
2 p.m.          Cultivo de Orquideas , Ruben Sauleda, PhD 

Admission is $25 for adults, $18 for seniors, $12 for children 6-17, and free to children 5 and under and Fairchild members. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is located at 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, Florida,
just a 30 minute drive from South Beach. Additional information about the International Orchid Festival may be found at www.fairchildgarden.org.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is dedicated to exploring, explaining and conserving the world of tropical plants. It is one of the premier conservation and education-based gardens in the world and a recognized international leader in both Florida and international conservation. Currently Fairchild has field programs in more than 20 countries including support to protected areas in Madagascar and Africa and botanic garden development and renovation projects in South and Central America, the Caribbean and Middle East.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden houses palm and cycad collections that are nationally recognized by the American Public Gardens Association, has the world’s greatest living collection of palms and cycads; an education program reaching more than 70,000 school children per year; hosts popular events like the International Chocolate Festival, International Mango Festival and International Orchid Festival, the Edible Garden Festival, the Ramble, concerts, affiliated plant society shows and sales and more; and, is a not-for-profit organization relying on the support of its 45,000 members and benefactors.

Fairchild hosts major art events such as Les Lalanne at Fairchild and Yoko Ono’s Wishing Grove this year, Yayoi Kusama at Fairchild last year, Mark di Suvero, Fernando Botero, Dale Chihuly and Kris Martin at Fairchild in 2008, Botero, Lichtenstein and Chihuly at Fairchild in 2007 and Chihuly at Fairchild in 2005 and 2006.

For more information on Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, visit www.fairchildgarden.org and check Facebook and Twitter.

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