The 26^th New York International Orchid Show 2006 at Rockefeller Center was a stunning show with thousands of orchids.

There is something about orchids that makes people passionate about growing them. Perhaps it is their uniquely exotic almost sci-fi look, their long bloom cycle, their fragrance or their dazzling array of sizes, shapes and colors. Whatever the appeal, the New York International Orchid Show, now in its 26^th year, organized by The Greater New York Orchid Society, continues to attract New Yorkers as well as international visitors. I attended the show on April 20, 2006, the opening day of a three-day show, and the tented Rockefeller Center ice rink was swarming with people like bees to honey.

For me, what I love about orchids is the individual personalities of the flowers; some are so flamboyantly flashy with their hot tropical colors and ruffled edges that they remind me of Flamenco dancers. Some are tiny and delicate, others are large, bold and exotically ‘painted' with splashes of color, and some are so elegant that they remind me of ladies wearing ball gowns, dancing on their slender stalks.

In addition to the exhibits, there were free lectures and workshops, design competitions and Ikebana displays that really showcased the beauty of the orchids with their inspired designs. The many vendors selling orchids and other botanical products were extremely popular, as evidenced by the number of people carrying armloads of orchid plants as they left the show.

Every year I learn something new at the show, and this year I learned that orchids come in every color except blue, but I would not be surprised in the future to see that some enterprising breeder has created a blue orchid.

As I walked around the exhibits, I enjoyed watching the reactions of the crowd who were clearly spellbound by the orchids, as they paused before some of the flowers with a look of awe on their faces as they patiently waited in line for their turn to photograph the orchids from every angle. Orchid lovers come in all ages, judging from the people in attendance at the show from under-two years of age to over eighty-two years of age. Some of the people came specifically for the New York International Orchid Show 2006 and others like Ninette from New York and her sister-in-law, Yildiz from Istanbul, as well as a group of friends from Indiana and Illinois, were waiting to get tickets to see the Dave Letterman Show, and decided to come to the Orchid Show while they waited. They might not have had the opportunity to see the Dave Letterman Show, but they were pleased that they had the opportunity to see the New York International Orchid Show.

For more information on the show, please contact The Greater New York Orchid Society.

© June 2006. Luxury Experience. www.luxuryexperience.com. All rights reserved.