Last December my wife and I had the great fortune to visit the Smithsonian Gardens Greenhouse Facility in Suitland, MD, outside of Washington, D.C. In a series of large greenhouses the Smithsonian grows all the flowers and potted plants used to decorate their museums in the D.C. area.

We were especially interested in seeing the orchid collection, which fills several of these greenhouses. Some of the orchids are rare, and the Smithsonian is taking precautions in preserving protecting these species, in the event of a natural disaster.

Prior to this visit I had been in correspondence with the resident orchid expert, Tom Mirenda. He gave us a personal tour of the facility. While Trudy took dozens of photos (some shown below), I had a good visit with Tom, and I learned quite a bit about various species.

An interview with Tom is available in podcast form. Click on this link and scroll down to episode 79. You will learn many interesting things about orchids.

And now for the orchid pictures. Click on a picture to see a larger version; click on it again to return.

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