February 27, 2009
Orchid Show goes Brazilian at NY Botanical Garden
NewYorkology contributor Jane Berger previews “Brazilian Modern,” the 7th annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden, February 28 through April 12. Jane is a professional landscape designer working throughout the Northeast and is the editor and publisher of Garden Design Online.
 You’ll never see another Orchid Show like this one: spell-binding walls of solid orchids amid epiphytic orchid sculptures and an amazing array of tropical plants that are native to Brazil, including palms and philodendrons, staghorn ferns, bromeliads, and many others.
The stunning display is the creation of Miami landscape designer Raymond Jungles, who studied and worked with the late Brazilian architect, artist, and designer Roberto Burle Marx, who is generally considered one of the 20th century’s leading modern designers. “Brazilian modern to me,” said Jungles, “is Roberto Burle Marx.”
As you enter the show, you’ll first encounter a soaring Burle Marx mosaic sculpture that stands vertically within a reflecting pool amid the magnificent palms housed under the huge dome in the Enid Haupt Conservatory. It’s the first time the mosaic has been seen in public in many years, and it’s headed for a permanent home soon at the Naples Botanical Garden in Naples, Florida.
Visitors continue down a long corridor blazing with orchids of every variety: Cymbidium (Asian corsage), Oncidium (dancing lady), Phalaenopsis (moth), and many others. “I wanted the design to be visible,” said Jungles, “which is what Roberto would do, so there are strong, bold gestures.” He explained that Burle Marx often designed displays for Carnival in Brazil, and was “a master of the theatrical.”
At the end of the corridor, you’ll encounter orchid “chandeliers” suspended above a pool. They’re reflected in the pond underneath them for “a double whammy of color,” Jungles said in an interview.
Even though this show is bold and dramatic, it also has a peaceful quality. Many benches are dispersed throughout the show, places where visitors can sit down and take in the spectacle. “There are nooks and crannies where people can tuck out of the turbulence … and look around and enjoy the space,” Jungles said. This Orchid Show is not only one to sit and enjoy, it’s an orchid experience you’ll never forget.
Jungles himself is speaking Saturday, at 1 p.m. in the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall. He’s also signing copies of his new book, Colors of Nature: Subtropical Gardens of Raymond Jungles (Monacelli Press, 2008.)
For many other orchid-related events and classes during the show, visit the New York Botanical Garden websites.
February 27, 2009 10:43 AM in Kids, Out of Manhattan, Sightsology, Tours
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