Orchid Show pumps exotic flowers into winter's drabness

As much as our winter-chilled bodies might sense something wrong with the notion, there is a restorative power to seeing flowers amid frigidity."It's alive," says Gabe Hutchison, a curator at Chicago Botanic Garden. "It doesn't feel like...

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14 February 2017 Tuesday 12:50

Orchid Show pumps exotic flowers into winter's drabness

As much as our winter-chilled bodies might sense something wrong with the notion, there is a restorative power to seeing flowers amid frigidity.

"It's alive," says Gabe Hutchison, a curator at Chicago Botanic Garden. "It doesn't feel like Chicago winter. It's not taking a nap. It's not cold."

And now that Hutchison's employer's annual orchid show has joined Garfield Park and Lincoln Park conservatories as sources for off-season flora, February is an especially rewarding time for those seeking the swampy smell of greenery, the flash of a petal, the delicate interplay of pistil and stamen.

'Orchids in Vogue' Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune

Rare Taiwanese Waterfall Orchids are displayed Friday, Feb. 10, 2017 in a gallery during "Orchids in Vogue," currently at Chicago Botanic Garden. \

(Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune)

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