Orchid Delights at Longwood Gardens

This weekend my husband and I took a trip up to Longwood Gardens, PA for their Orchid Extravaganza. It was a visual delight! Above is my favorite orchid photo from the trip.

This amazing orchid arch looks even more impressive in person. I suspect it is over twenty feet high. Behind it you can see another huge orchid display (hanging from the ceiling) and further in the background there is a circle of roses surrounding a lotus fountain.

 Here's a close up of one of the featured orchids.

Here's one of their huge orchid balls. I think it was about 10 feet in diameter. They had some behind the scenes employees showing how they put the giant orchid balls together and, while I don't expect to ever make one myself, I enjoyed seeing how it was done.

This is the orchid display that greets you when you enter the Longwood Gardens conservatory from their "new" side entrance. You can see the back side of this display in the first photo of this post.

Hope you enjoyed my photographic mementos of our trip. I love to visit conservatories in winter. What are some of your favorite winter activities?

May God bless you!

PS To the couple who asked me to take their photo and let me take one of them with my camera - mine didn't turn out that well so I didn't post it on the blog but if you want a copy just email me at lovejoypeas@gmail.com and I'll send it. And if you want to be featured just send me the one I took with your camera phone (assuming it came out). It was great meeting you!

Orchid Jubilee at the U.S. National Arboretum

Ben (my beloved husband) and I attended the National Arboretum's 65th annual Orchid Jubilee today. The orchid display building smelled amazingly wonderful with the scent of so many orchids. If you live near Washington DC the event runs through Monday, October 8, 2012.

 Some exhibitors really got into the 65th anniversary theme.

All of the flowers were beautiful in their own way. The judges certainly had a difficult task. Here are some of the blue ribbon winning orchids.

 These boldly colored orchid blooms had photographers clamoring to get photos.

 But I thought these delicately colored orchid blooms were just as lovely, in their own way.

And some of the orchid displays seemed like they came right out of a fairy tale. This was certainly a treat for the senses.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! May the God of all creation bless you today and always!

PS: If you enjoyed this post you'll likely enjoy the following posts too:

• Orchid extravaganza: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/02/orchid-extravaganza.html
• Floral art photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/08/floral-fair-photos-art-and-arrangements.html 
• National Arboretum flower and insect photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/08/dragonfly-and-butterflies-on-flowers-at.html
• National Botanical Garden photographs: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/05/national-garden-photographs.html 
• Cherry blossom and Washington DC monument photos: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/03/washington-dc-cherry-blossoms-and.html

Close Encounters with Orchids

Here are some close up photos of beautiful orchids from our trip yesterday. I definitely took the first two but am not sure whether hubby (Ben) or I took the third one. He's not sure either but said if he did take the photo it was fine to post here. I hope you enjoy our photos and pray that God will bless you and draw you closer to Him whenever you view nature's beauty.

Orchid Extravaganza

Hubby and I went to Longwood Gardens, PA today to see their Orchid Extravaganza. The orchid displays and other botanical sights were lovely. I hope you enjoy this glimpse of the orchid event. I'll post some close up photos of the orchids tomorrow for your enjoyment. If you live nearby the Longwood Gardens Orchid Extravaganza runs through March 25th.

As beautiful and precious as the orchids are, I hope you'll remember that you are infinitely more beautiful and precious in God's eyes and mine. May God bless you!