Orchid Daze at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

It's time once again for Orchid Daze at the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Fuqua Conservatory and Orchid Center.  This year's theme is "Lasting Impressions," which celebrates the art of three of our most-beloved impressionist painters: Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Paul Gauguin.  Combining these artists and flowers seems a perfect pairing.  After all, it was Monet who said, "I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers."

Monet's lovely water lily-filled garden at Giverny has been symbolized using pansy orchids and Cattleya orchids massed into beautiful clusters that capture the spirit of his paintings.  There's even an arched "bridge" over the pond for you to cross as you enjoy this artistic world designed by Tres Fromme, ABG's Landscape Design and Planning Manager.

The happy faces of pansy orchids

Other sections of the Conservatory and Orchid Center have been designed to celebrate the works of Gauguin and Van Gogh, using orchids as well as other tropical flowers to bring to life the vision of these masters of impressionist art.

The Orchid Center is always a fascinating destination, but during Orchid Daze, its brilliant colors are a refreshing change from the usually dreary months of February and March.  The show runs through April 13, so there's plenty of time to work a visit into the schedule.  You can wander through on your own, or you can join one of the guided tours offered on Saturdays at 1 pm.  February 23 is Vanilla Sunday in honor of the vanilla orchid (yes, vanilla comes from an orchid) and will include cooking demos and vanilla sundaes.  I didn't notice any pods on the vine during today's visit, but maybe there will be some soon.

A vanilla orchid vine

I wasn't as impressed by this year's show as much as last year's, but it's hard to go too wrong with cheerful orchids in a warm conservatory while there's snow still melting outside.

For some reason, this orchid tickles my fancy.  Maybe because it reminds me of a perky little rooster.

If you would like to try your own hand at growing orchids, there are Orchid Market Weekends (March 1 & 2, April 5 & 6) when vendors sell orchids and their supplies between 10 and 4.  And if you still can't get enough of orchids, the Atlanta Orchid Society is hosting its annual show March 7 - 9 at the garden, where you can see hundreds more orchids on display and for sale.

Lady Slipper orchids in the Orchid Center