Patterns In Bloom @ NEBG
2000 orchids? Oh, we are so there!!!
Boston used to host the Massachusetts Horticultural Society‘s huge annual New England Spring Flower Show, which heralded the beginning of Spring. We think the show fell victim to COVID, and we have not heard if/when it will be back, which makes us sad.
A few readers, also feeling the “Will it never be Spring?” blues, let us know about the Patterns In Bloom exhibition at the New England Botanic Garden (NEBG), in Boylston (the Massachusetts town, not the Boston street). We knew instantly that we had to go check it out!
No blooming onions, just blooming orchids (and their friends). Also, the coffee in the cafe was great!
The NEBG is an hour’s drive west of Boston. We went on a weekend, and it was a very pleasant drive, with a good part of it on the Mass Pike (Rt 90).
NEBG is—as they say themselves—”a place for people to experience the wonder of plants, learn about the natural world, and make joyful connections.” And indeed it was!
Lovely people, lovely building, lovely lovely LOVELY plants and flowers.
The crew intended to get an early start, but the earliest we could manage was early afternoon. The show was in full swing when we arrived, so we wasted no time in making the rounds of looking at and wandering through the 2000 (TWO THOUSAND) orchids.
The Orchidian Crew – a happy bunch indeed!
Orchids
The Patterns in Bloom exhibit ran from February 10 to March 17, and celebrated the “artistry of orchids.” The thousands of living orchids were artfully arranged and displayed as imagined by Molly Gambardella, a Connecticut-based multidisciplinary artist.
Big ones, tiny ones, ones that didn’t look like orchids, gi-normous paper ones. And all the humans were very well behaved around them!
It was almost overwhelming, the amount of orchids which made up the show. There were orchids of all shapes, colors, and sizes. Some had no smell, some had a smell, and one even smelled like hot chocolate!!!
Not all orchids have a smell, but all orchids have a presence.
Not Orchids
Not everything flowering in the rooms were orchids: we spotted some very attractive “not orchid” blooms, and they were as delightful as the orchids: Bird of Paradises, bromeliads, and hibiscuses! There were also fruiting lemon trees and lots of other wonderful surprises mixed in with the gorgeous flowering main attraction.
You and you and you – orchid besties!
Abstract Orchids
There were alot of intriguing flowering plants, but the visual complexity of the orchids added an effortless abstract quality to the images we took of them. Taking full advantage of the opportunity, we shot a set of close-ups with an eye to highlighting their seemingly impossible shapes.
Close up, orchids become other-worldly…
With so many orchids in one place, interesting images presented themselves everywhere and at almost every possible angle. All we really had to do was just press the shutter button!
…or something that vaguely reminds you of a sea creature whose name you cannot recall.
The Garden Gift Shop
As one might imagine, the NEBG’s delightful and whimsical gift shop was full of delightful plant and gardening…delights. The wide range of offerings—seeds, pots, posters, gardening tools, books on insects, books on plants, books on gardens and gardening—was presented in a very fetching way and the shop hummed with delighted humans. Oh, and the flower-based teas (in tea bags)! At least one RainyDay-er was completely in her element, and smelled every single type of tea they offered, and took home their Lavender Earl Grey one.
Oh yeah, we absolutely went there, and totally bought that poster! (Seriously, we did, and we did.)
The poster
A particular poster caught our eye because we liked how it was framed. We have a big frame which we knew would work with it. Also, it’s science-y in a way that non-scientists can comprehend. Of course we bought one! But that’s a DIY article for another day 🙂
Our new “Tree of Life” poster nestled amongst the RainyDay office’s orchards. (P.S.: all creatures, everywhere, are all related – the poster shows how, and beautifully.)
Outside
Even though it was still NSY(Not Spring Yet), walking the grounds of NEBG was still a delight.
ON THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREST. So cool.
It was cold-ish (a New England term if there ever was one), but the fountain was on and the sculptures were terrific. Going outside to see them really showcased how thoughtfully created—and how well crafted—the NEBG is.
The Winter Garden. Yes, Castor and Pollux (the turtles) are having a spitting contest.
One might think that a walk in a garden in Winter would have less to offer, but one would be wrong. Seeing the structure of plants without the flowery/colorful bits reminds us of the effort and energy nature puts into creating itself, and has a beauty all its own.
Even in Winter, this place is beautiful. Can’t wait to come back later in the year to see what this looks like then!
NEBG
The NEBG is, now that we’ve been there, a delight all year round. The seasons may change, the vistas may alter, the weather may require a parka or a pair of shorts, but the plants there will always be fascinating any time of the year.
We highly, highly recommend a visit!
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