By Candy Williams
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, January 17, 2004

Many of the 3,000 orchids at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens are
more at home in the tropical climate of Hawaii, but they've grown to
tolerate winters in Pittsburgh -- maybe more than some of the city's
residents.

Ideal conditions that simulate the heat and humidity the orchids favor in
their natural environment enable the delicate plants to bloom year-round at
a comfortable 65 to 70 degrees in the Orchid Room of the Oakland Victorian
glasshouse, says Georgia Wahl, Phipps' orchid manager.

As a transition between the poinsettias of winter and the daffodils of
spring, orchids take center stage in the Serpentine Room of the 13-room
structure for a show of their own. "Orchid Origins," from today through
March 14, takes a look at the history of the plants and the orchid industry
in general -- how the plants are discovered, collected, bred and propagated.

The exhibit was designed by Director of Horticulture Karen Daubmann, Wahl
and the Phipps staff. It offers a series of vignettes with posters that
explain various themes about the plants, from the "orchidmania" that fueled
early orchid collecting in the mid-1800s in Europe, to orchid production
that took hold in this country after World War II.

'Orchid Origins'

What: Annual orchid show

When: Today through March 14. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through
Sundays; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays; closed Mondays. Guided tours, free with
Phipps admission, are offered Tuesdays through Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 1
p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m.

Admission: $6; $5 for age 60 and older; $4 for students with ID; $3 for ages
2 to 12; free for Phipps members and age 2 and younger

Whe Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Schenley Park, Oakland

Details: (412) 622-6914 or www.phipps.conservatory.org

The Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania will have its annual exhibit
March 20 and 21 at Phipps Garden Center. For information on the event, which
is free and open to the public, or details about joining the society,
contact Marsh, (724)-772-4884.





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