While most are familiar with the tropical and sub-tropical orchids that can be found in garden shops and conservatories around the world, you may not be aware that orchids are also found in temperate and colder climates, including right here in the mid-Atlantic!
Join orchid expert and longtime educator Barbara Schmidt for a special look at all things native orchids—from hardy orchids, to native orchids at Longwood and their ideal growing conditions, to Longwood’s work in preserving these incredible species.
Start your experience in our Grove Studios before taking a tour of native orchids in bloom in our outdoor gardens. Then, return to The Grove for a discussion on orchid care and finish with a tour of our Orchid House—complete with a look at the orchid propagation tools used at Longwood. Each participant will receive a hardy orchid to take home along with instructions for its care and preservation.
Location
Grove Studio 108, Throughout the Gardens
This course will take part partially or entirely outdoors and will involved significant walking. Please dress for the weather and conditions.
Instructor
Barb Schmidt
Barb Schmidt has been raising orchids for the last 20 years, maintains an orchid website at basorchidcare.com, and teaches orchid classes throughout the country. In 2023, the Taiwan Orchid Growers Association (TOGA) invited Schmidt to speak at the 2024 World Orchid Conference in Tainan, Taiwan. Currently, she is the Vice President of the American Orchid Society and the Chair of the Education Committee.