Orchid shows brighten up winter's last gray days

Enough already with chilly gray winter. Time to pick up a bouquet of bright pink tulips and start thinking about spring.

In many places, it will be weeks before daffodils and hyacinths start peeking through the ground, but there are plenty of flower shows to see in the meantime. Some are big annual events with themes that change every year, like the famous Philadelphia Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, this year March 1-8 with a "Bella Italia" theme, http://www.theflowershow.com (tickets, $22).

Other displays focus on one type of flower, like the various orchid shows that showcase the jungle plant's intense blooms at gardens and exhibit halls around the country.

One of those annual orchid shows held each year just as the cold weather starts to lift is at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.

"We're in the last gray days of winter," said Marc Hachadourian, curator of NYBG's Glasshouse Collection. "What better place to be than a tropical paradise filled with exotic orchids?"

Here are some details.

ORCHIDS: The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx hosts its seventh annual orchid show, this year showcasing the plants in a contemporary Brazilian garden design with fountains, pools, mosaics and palms. "The Orchid Show: Brazilian Modern" takes place Feb. 28-April 12. The garden is open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; admission, $20. Details at http://www.nybg.org/tos09/.

The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis celebrates its 150th anniversary this year and has been hosting orchid shows for an impressive 91 of those years. The orchid show is called "Henry's Garden," named for Henry Shaw, who founded the garden in 1959. The show features more than 800 orchids with a Victorian theme, including a three-tiered fountain, large planters brimming with flowers, wrought-iron lamp posts, urns and other period pieces to suggest a 19th century courtyard. The show runs through March 15 (garden open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $11), http://www.mobot.org.

Among the best places to view orchids are local and regional shows sponsored by orchid societies. The South Florida Orchid Society bills the 63rd Miami International Orchid Show as the largest exhibiting orchid show in the country. It will take place Feb. 27-March 1 with a theme of "Secret Orchid Gardens" at the Doubletree Miami Mart/Airport Hotel and Exhibition Center. The program includes a juried awards competition, daily demonstrations by orchid experts, and sales of thousands of orchids and related items. Details at http://www.southfloridaorchidsociety.org/miami.php.

For a complete list of orchid shows around the country, visit the Web site of the American Orchid Society, http://www.aos.org. Click on "Events," then "Show Schedule," with listings for dozens of shows around North America and even some in the Caribbean and South America. Here are a few scheduled for March; most include displays, juried shows, sales, and expert advice.

_San Francisco Orchid Society Pacific Orchid Exposition, March 6-8, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, http://www.orchidsanfrancisco.org.

_Smoky Mountain Orchid Society Show, March 6-8, West Town Mall, Knoxville, Tenn.

_International Orchid Festival, March 13-15, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami, http://www.fairchildgarden.org/.

_San Diego County Orchid Society Show, "Around the World with Orchids," March 13-15, Scottish Rite Center, San Diego, Calif., http://www.sdorchids.com/.

_Atlanta Orchid Society Show, March 12-15, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, http://www.atlantaorchidsociety.org/.

_Greater Cincinnati Orchid Society Show, March 14-15, Krohn Conservatory, Eden Park, Cincinnati.

_Santa Barbara International Orchid Show, "Orchid Escape," March 20-22, Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, Calif., http://www.sborchidshow.com/.

_Heart of Dixie Orchid Society Show, March 21-22, Holiday Inn Research Park, Huntsville, Ala., http://www.h-o-d-o-s.org/Shows/2009.html.

_Greater Omaha Orchid Society Show, March 21-22, Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha, Neb., http://www.omahabotanicalgardens.org.

_Illinois Orchid Society Show, "Orchids in the Mist," March 21-22, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Ill., http://www.iosoc.com/show/spring.shtml.

_Southeastern Pennsylvania Orchid Society Show, March 27-29, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pa., http://longwoodshow.sepos.org/.

_Alamo Orchid Society Show, March 28-29, San Antonio Garden Center, San Antonio, Texas.

_Western North Carolina Orchid Society Show, "Orchid Mystery: Journey to the Far East," March 28-29, North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville, N.C., http://www.wncos.org/.

_Illowa Orchid Society Spring Show, March 28-29, Putnam Museum and IMAX Theatre, Davenport, Iowa.

OTHER GARDEN SHOWS, FESTIVALS AND EVENTS: In addition to the Philadelphia Flower Show, which is the largest of its kind, many localities and botanical gardens host major events to celebrate the flowers of spring. Here are a few of them.

_Chicago Flower & Garden Show, March 7-15, Navy Pier, http://www.chicagoflower.com.

_Boston "BLOOMS!," March 13-15, One International Place, 125 High St. and the InterContinental Hotel, Boston, http://www.masshort.org/Events.

_San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, March 18-22, San Mateo Event Center, San Mateo, Calif., http://www.gardenshow.com/. Organizers say this is the show's final year.

_Charleston, S.C.'s Middleton Place Camellia Walks, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through March 26, http://www.middletonplace.org. Guided tours focusing on camellias, reservations required, 843-556-6020.

_National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington D.C., March 28-April 12, http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

_Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, Skagit County, Wash., April 1-30, http://www.tulipfestival.org.

_Atlanta Dogwood Festival, April 17-19, Piedmont Park; http://www.dogwood.org

_Cincinnati Flower Show, April 18-26, Symmes Township Park, Symmes Township, Ohio, http://www.cincyflowershow.com/.

_Historic Garden Week in Virginia, April 18-25, http://www.vagardenweek.org. Events and tours around the state, from Mount Vernon and other historic landmarks to private homes.

_Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage, April 25, May 2-3, May 9, May 16-17, http://www.mhgp.org. Tours of historic and contemporary gardens around the state.