It's the 20th annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden, and VP Joanna Groarke discusses this year's theme, Natural Heritage, working with guest designer Lily Kwong, and all of the show's programming, from special activities for kids to their Orchid Nights. 

It's the 20th annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden, and VP Joanna Groarke discusses this year's theme, Natural Heritage, working with guest designer Lily Kwong, and all of the show's programming, from special activities for kids to their Orchid Nights.&nbsp;

Wake Up With Cheddar

Visiting the New York Botanical Garden's Annual Orchid Show

So we may be gray and cold outside, at least here in New York City. But the New York Botanical Gardens Annual Orchid Show is an explosion of color cheddar zone Shannon Lanier is on the scene with a look at this year's installation. Good morning, Shannon. Good morning. You know, I can't stop smelling the flowers. It's just beautiful, it smells beautiful. This is the place you need to be, especially when you're stuck in your house and it's winter and it's dreary out. Come to the New York Botanical Garden for the Orchid Show. It's the 20th annual one and it's been around for 20 years because it is that amazing. And now I'm joined by Joanna, the vice president of programming and exhibitions. So Joanna talked to me about the theme this year besides being beautiful. But tell me more about the theme of the Sure. This year is the Orchid Show Natural Heritage designed by our guest designer, Lily Kwong. And Liang is an artist who is really engaged with the ecology of different regions of the world and wants her visitors here to feel connected to their own personal histories and how they connect to nature and the land. And I love how it is. It's so real that you have like a waterfall coming down cascading off of these rocks that really makes you feel like you're outside in nature. And this is the natural environment. I was told earlier that they would normally grow inside of rocks and mountains like this. Okay. So how did you all come to work with Lily for the show? Lily Kwong is a designer who we've admired for a long time. And it turns out that she's also an alum of our continuing education program. So when she was beginning her practice, she actually took classes here at the garden. And so it was a wonderful way to reconnect with her back into the fold and create this beautiful environment. Right. Exactly. So what else can people experience when they come here to see the orchid show? We have the beautiful orchids amassed everywhere in this space throughout the entire conservatory. We, we have orchids growing on trees on rocks and all the colors. I love how you have them all just tucked in there together. Exactly. This show offers an opportunity to get up close to the flowers and really enjoy them and their different form but don't touch them. People don't want them to be here for the next person. Yes. Exactly. And they also have children's programming available as well. We do our effort. Children's Adventure Garden has programming for kids and families every single day, the garden itself is starting to wake up just this morning. I was admiring the snowdrops and some of our early cherries. It's, it's a little chilly today, but it is starting to feel like spring. Okay. So I heard that at nighttime it is magical here. So, talk to me about the orchid show and the difference that we will experience at nighttime opposed to the daytime. Yes. Well, you can see we're in an immersive sort of wonderland of blooms right now. But at night, we turn the light the lights on and the orchid show is magical. The conservatory is one of New York City's most romantic places to be at night, whatever the show. But we have our orchid nights beginning next week will be on select Saturdays. You can come to the show experience, live music, dance, have a date night here in the orchids. It's absolutely magical. What is some of the reactions you get from guests that come in here? Visitors are always so thrilled to have that sort of pop of color. And spring for the orchid show is a sign of spring. It's also a moment to be near plants at a time when the, when the outdoors is chilly and sort of inhospitable. But visitors are also this year so happy to have this experience that we're having right now, literally being embraced by organs. It's, it's a really special way to experience these beautiful flowers. Thank you. So much. I want to go Buy more of these flowers. And if you want to be embraced also to come out to the New York botanical garden. This show runs until April 23. Trust me, you will thank me. All right back to you guys. I'm into that. Alright. Thanks, of course to share and linear for us this morning.