Orchids in autumn colors

It’s autumn and at least in San Diego, it’s sometimes hard to tell. There’s a bit of evening chill in the air, the beaches are less crowded and already there’s Christmas trees in the stores. But let’s take time for this fall season first.

To make your home feel comfy and cozy for the fall, try bringing in the colors of autumn leaves in with orchid flowers. Orchids come in such a wide spectrum of colors and varieties, that there are always unique plants for each season. With the capability of cross-breeding, the intergeneric varieties have become more popular and available.

We created this orchid arrangement which features the golden umbers in the phalaenopsis petals, along with the orange of fresh chili peppers to perfectly celebrate the fall season. It’s an artistic accent in your home or office through the Thanksgiving holiday.

These pictures are just some of the varieties that work well with the autumn colors. They are a beautiful and unique way to bring in nature at its best, especially when accented with bronze colored containers or rich brown, woven baskets.

FMI: Visit www.HauteHouseOrchids.com for gifts to send to friends and family across the country or to deliver in your neighborhood.

National Geographic article on orchid deception

The National Geographic article, titled “Love and Lies” by Michael Pollan is entertaining (as in laugh out loud) as well as informative. This reads like a love triangle of how orchids spread their genes in the wild by deceiving birds and bees into believing they are the female of their species. The diabolical orchid achieves this deceit by fragrance, color, and of course, by touch with the promise of sex.

Pollan writes of the Ophyrs species, aka, the “Prostitute Orchid” that resembles the hind end of a female bee and lures in the male bee to attach its sticky yellow seed sac to the back of its victim, turning him into an oblivious pollinator. The male bee, often called a “flying penis” by botanists, (for real) then flies off in search of another orchid and unwittingly deposits the wily orchid’s seed sac there. This "pseudocopulation" is evolutionary genius.

Even Charles Darwin was intrigued by the process of how a stationary plant like the orchid lures and lies, “counting of the kindness of strangers,” in their effort to pollinate. The then rogue theory of natural selection was studied and presented by Darwin in The Various Contrivances by Which Orchids are Fertilised by Insects. Pollen writes that “…the peculiarities of orchid sex actually offer one of the great case studies of natural selection, as Charles Darwin himself understood."

The exquisite photographs by Christian Ziegler are alone worth a trip to the site. His back story of snapping these pictures is equally fascinating. Check out http://www.photographyblog.com/articles/photographing_orchids_with_christian_ziegler/

Read this article on the “Love and Lies” of the deceitful orchid. You are sure to find it intriguing and humorous. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/09/orchids/pollan-text

The author, Michael Pollan has written In Defense of Food and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, both books that will change the way you look at and eat food. http://www.michaelpollan.com/write.php

Photographer Irving Penn, 1917-2009

Last week Irving Penn, New York photographer known for his austere style and singular simplicity, died at 92 in his Manhattan home. Iconic in the field of photography, Penn explored and pioneered images in such diverse areas as fashion, celebrity portraiture, tribal settings, still life, and flowers.
Penn had a fascination with isolating his subjects, including his flowers. He produced a dramatic collection of floral images in his 1980 book, entitled simply “Flowers.” By placing a singular flower, set against a plain background, Penn produced dynamic images in striking clarity and poetic composition. He continued to capture flowers in both color and black and white images through a variety of different photographic methods.
A 2007 exhibit of his floral photography displayed at the Pace/MacGill Gallery stated, “Without artifice or sentimentality, Penn’s flowers are a statement of fact. Recording what is in front of his lens with as much fidelity as the camera allows, the photographs dissect each whorl and petal, each stem and stamen with the honestly of an X-ray.”
His prolific six decade career started in the 1940’s as a fashion photographic for Vogue Magazine. He photographed many of the celebrities of his era including Truman Capote, Picasso, and Georgia O’Keefe, as well as tribal and ordinary people. His still life photographs are powerful and detailed often challenging the traditional idea of beauty. Penn, one of the most highly respected photographers of the 20th century, will be revered for his elegant simplicity and exacting detail. His images today are often valued at over half a million dollars.
The Getty Center in Los Angeles is currently featuring an exhibit of Penn photographs from the early 1950’s in Paris, London and New York of working class trades-people. The show continues until January 10, 2010. Visit http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/penn/index.html

Conservation Projects through San Diego County Orchid Society

Conservation of all plants and wildlife is paramount in for our global society. The San Diego County Orchid Society (SDCOS) is doing its part in conservation of orchids found in the wild around the world. These orchid habitats are being lost at an alarming rate due to the loss of their environment and by illegal collection. According to Bruce Berg, the mission of the SDCOS includes the protection, study and education to help conserve these natural habitats. This map displays the areas where the SDCOS has sponsored orchid conservation projects.

One of their successful programs helped to rescue a habitat in Equator where several varieties of orchids grow in the wild. With the help of Equator’s federal government, a conservation easement was established to protect this region. It is now listed in the esteemed book, “The Lonely Planet” as a preserve where the habitat is protected and is supported by visitor and tourist donations to explore the natural fauna.

The SDCOS is currently funding a project to save the Himalayan “Snow Orchids” in India. The orchid society of nearly 600 members raises about $12,000 yearly since 1991. The group has supported habitats in over 18 different countries. Their effort can be supported by orchid donations to the society which are in turn re-sold to raise money. To find out how you can donate to this cause visit http://www.sdorchids.com/.

The American Orchid Society recognized the San Diego chapter with the prestigious Conservation Award in 2004. The AOS has about 30,000 members and support further education and knowledge of orchid habitats to a wider audience. See http://www.aos.org/ for more information.

In addition to the conservation projects, the SDCOS mission is to share information and techniques with other orchid enthusiasts. The group sponsors 4 shows annually, with the next show in October at the Scottish Rite Building.

The SDCOS meets the 1st Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm at the Casa del Prado in Balboa Park. Admission is free and everyone is welcome from beginners to serious collectors. More membership information can be found on the site http://www.sdorchids.com/.