A quick trip through the Balboa Park Greenhouse

The whole gang/family was in San Diego this weekend and we decided that the weather was good enough for a random stroll through Balboa Park.

Here are some pictures from the Greenhouse. Most of the orchids did not even have tags - and the ones that did, only indicated the genus and "orchid".

Here's a shot of the exterior. This structure is HUGE!
I think the entire structure is mostly made out of wood. Its a good thing this was not affected by the fires.


Some interior shots:



A beautiful Brassavola specimen in the background


The ferns section.


More NOIDs.


I really liked this one - but it was too high to check if it was even real


Eva posing with some of the orchids:


Holy overpotting Batman!


This fat vanilla is attaching itself to the concrete "I dont need no stinkin pot!"
But notice that the leaves of the segments that are growing on the concrete have less vigor than the ones on the pot and driftwood.
Perhaps the paint on the concrete is doing something to the plant? Or maybe it is just too dry.


For some reason, I keep having this nagging feeling that with the exception of some specimens, most of these orchids on display are not residents of this GH.
They somehow have that "big box" aura to them. My wife joked that maybe someone just regulary buys new orchids from the nearby grocery store to replace the ones that finish blooming.

Unfortunately, only a small portion was dedicated to orchids. But if you are a general gardening buff like myself, you will find this display very impressive.

Some day I will be building a GH this big. I just need to work out some logistics like having $10 million to fund the construction and have a piece of land big enough to house it
But those are minor details, I'm sure I will figure something out lol.


~John

Nice pics, John. Thanks for sharing! And good luck with your dreemhouse project!

Tami

Wonder if I put it on my list if Santa would bring me a greenhouse like that.

Great photos John! And your family looks so happy! I love the second photo of the inside of the structure. I cannot wait till I get to Kew Gardens next spring and see those glass houses. I hope they are as pretty as the one you posted here.

Cheers,
BD

So pretty! THanks for sharing the photos. I had a similar reaction to the NY Botanical gardens--the greenhouse was amazing. I think I said "this is the greenhouse of my dreams" or "this is what I want someday" a hundred times -- enough to make my poor husband think I might actually be serious. (Of course, in the event that we become independently wealthy and don't have anything better to do with the money . . . comes back to reality . . . ). But, at the time of year I went, there were literally only 10 orchids--kind of disappointing--but the rest was fabulous.

What an amazing structure! It does make one want one! Thanks for the tour John.