Among the many reasons I love participating in orchid shows is because I get to talk to people about the importance of rainforest habitat conservation. My mission is to raise awareness about the large numbers of plant and animal species who depend on this kind of support for their survival. It is really heartwarming to see how receptive people are, once they realize the urgency of saving areas of the rainforests around the world.

Here is my visitor table, all set up and ready to go. I have a sign to explain our drawing.

For every $10 donation to conservation, a visitor’s name is entered into a drawing, to be held on Saturday near the close of the show.

This year’s drawing has two prizes.. DrDelphinium Designs & Events has donated a live orchid arrangement for one of the lucky winners. It features a beautiful phalaenopsis orchid, yellow with purple centers.  And as usual, I offer a signed, limited edi

tion 16×20 print of one of my paintings. The winner is invited to choose whichever picture appeals to her/him.

All orchid shows offer the opportunity for orchid growers to submit plants for judging, and various awards are given for the different categories. There are also some fabulous displays, created by vendors or orchid societies. You can enjoy a slideshow of show highlights here.

The judging is not limited to orchid plants. Other categories are also available, such as original art or photography. This is where I come in. I have entered my paintings in a number of shows, and this show was no exception. I am happy to say, I won the ribbon for the art category.

And finally, there is a category for collectibles related to orchids.  It is always fascinating to see the collections of items that some of these true orchid lovers have acquired over the years. Here are two examples of orchid porcelain sets.