Last week, I made a quick trip down to Illinois for the annual orchid show, Orchids in Vogue, at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Somehow I had never been to the botanic garden before? If I had, it was many many years ago. The grounds are impressive. Spanning 385 acres on and around nine islands, the Chicago Botanic Garden has 27 gardens and four natural areas with six miles of lake shoreline.
Not surprisingly, in late March, there isn’t much blooming…yet. It’s right at that point where plants are just starting to poke their way out of the ground. You know that in another couple of months, the entire place is going to look completely different. I’m hoping to make another trip down there to see it in its full glory in the summer. But for this trip, I mostly stuck to the orchids exhibit, which was entirely indoors.
The orchid show was fabulous. They packed so much into a few greenhouses, with so many different plant species and vibrant colors everywhere you looked.
Finally, the Chicago Botanic Garden put together a few orchid outfits. So neat!
By the time this post goes live, Orchids in Vogue will have wrapped up for 2017. But the Chicago Botanic Garden is FREE and open year round. If you live in the greater Chicago area or southeast WI, think about planning a visit there this spring or summer. In the summer, they offer extended hours with free nightly concerts Monday-Thursday. Bring a picnic, and enjoy golden hour with music in the gorgeous gardens!
[Disclaimer: The Chicago Botanic Garden did not sponsor me or endorse me to write this post. I’m simply a resident of southeast WI who loves taking and sharing pictures of events in Wisconsin and beyond!]
More floral shares!
The Great Train Robbery Show at the Domes
Fall Harvest Festival Floral Show at the Domes
These photos are stunning – I absolutely love that purple-spotted orchid! So much fun to go nuts with a macro lens when you’re around flowers 🙂
So cool! I love the orange orchids near the top. We actually don’t see a whole of of orchids here. There are several orchid nurseries that grow all different types, but there are only a couple of native orchid species.
These photos are stunning, I love how individual and beautiful flowers can be. I don’t grow many flowers at home so I miss out on the vibrancy of spring!
I also love that water feature, how gorgeous is that!
You will have to head back when it is in full bloom and capture some more gorgeous flowers!!
xx Angela