Visitors to The North Carolina Arboretum will be instantly transported to a lush, tropical world as they have the pleasure of seeing big blooms and big ideas at the 15th-annual Western North Carolina Orchid Society’s Orchid Show.
Graham Ramsey, president of the Western North Carolina Orchid Society, said the orchid show is something the society works toward all year.
“We’re a very member-driven organization, and it’s [the orchid show] totally put on by our members,” Ramsey said. “All the energy and everything is done by our members.”
The Orchid Show will be open to the public March 29 and 30, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
“The North Carolina Arboretum is such an awesome place, and we have a wonderful relationship with it,” Ramsey said. “This is one of their largest events of the year, and they use it to launch their springtime exposure.”
According to Ramsey, the Orchid Show is one of the largest orchid shows in the southeast and usually cycles about 4,000 to 6,000 people through the arboretum.
“We have nine vendors coming, and most of these vendors are world-class orchid growers and breed ers,” Ramsey said. “At our show we will have a lot of the cutting-edge, latest and greatest breeding that’s been going on.”
This year’s theme, “Trails of Orchids,” will be shown in carefully created displays. Ramsey said the vendors will be creating with the best-of-the-best of the orchid world.
“The Orchid Show is a judged event on a sort of national level,” Ramsey said. “The American Orchid Society will be looking at things and possibly giving out some AOS awards for orchids that might possibly be the best they’ve seen of that breed.”
According to Ramsey, visitors will be able to see thousands of blooming orchids with a variety of everything from a bloom a couple of millimeters to blooms the size of a grapefruit. “The variety of the vendors and their displays are all so unique,” Ramsey said. “It’s an amazing event.”
Vendors will offer orchid supplies and plants for purchase, including rare and hard-to-find orchids. Ramsey said visitors will have the opportunity to attend educational programs given by professional orchid growers and hybridizers.
“All of this is free,” Ramsey said. “Other than the $12 gate fee for parking the arboretum charges because they’re a separate entity, the only other thing you would have to pay for are the orchids you purchase.”
Ramsey said the WNCOS will also be hosting a raffle table where visitors have the chance to win one of 10 prize packages.
“The WNCOS is a non-profit, and we work to raise money during this show,” Ramsey said. “This is our primary fundraising op portunity to continue to fund the Orchid Society and the show.”
According to Ramsey, the WNCOS relationship with The North Carolina Arboretum is a great partner ship, and the two hope to attract people from all over to attend the show.
“The orchids on display, for anybody out there if you’ve never been to an or chid show, don’t underes timate it,” Ramsey said. “It will blow your mind.”
