voice: Dr. Peter H. Raven Welcome to the Garden and to our fabulous “The Art of Orchids” show. I’m Peter Raven, president of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Our talented horticulture and design staff works hard every year to bring you this beautiful display of winter-blooming orchids and I think you will find this years’ display to be truly exceptional. The new audio tour by cell provides even more opportunity to learn about this fascinating collection, as you enjoy their beauty first...

Voice: Jim Cocos, Vice President of Horticulture Resource: Public Relations fact sheet I’m Jim Cocos, Vice President of Horticulture. This Garden’s orchid collection is one of the largest and finest in the country. We grow more than 8,000 plants in our greenhouse area called the orchid range. These plants make up our largest living collection, representing over 2,500 unique species, varieties and hybrids. We grow a number of rare and unusual specimens. Some of them are over 100 years old....

Voice: Dr. Jim Solomon, curator of the herbarium Resource: Talking Orchid script, Bulletin articles, 2005 2006 Orchid Show brochures Hi, I’m Dr. Jim Solomon, curator of the herbarium here at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Did you know that orchids are the largest family of flower plants in the world, with some 30 to 35,000 species? That’s approaching nearly 10 percent of all flowering plants! They grow on every continent except Antarctica. While there are only about 200 orchid species in...

Voice: Dr. Peter H. Raven, president Resources: 2005 Orchid Island brochure If you read the bestseller The Orchid Thief, by Susan Orlean, then you not only would have been highly entertained but you would have learned that since Victorian times, passionate collectors have driven the search for the rarest of orchids. It’s important to remember that individual orchid species which are often very rare are extremely vulnerable to simply being wiped out to be driven to extinction in...

Voice: Bob Vander Linden, volunteer in the orchid range Resources: Kemper Center fact sheets, Plant Doctor I’m Bob Vander Linden, a Master Gardener volunteer in the orchid range. Here at the Garden, you can turn to a number of sources for plant care advice. Stop by the Kemper Center for Home Gardening, where you can use reference materials or ask for handouts on growing and caring for orchids. Call the Horticultural Answering Service on weekday mornings to seek advice from master gardeners....

Voice: Pat Scace, exhibit designer I’m Pat Scace, the exhibit designer in the Floral Display Department. Would you believe it takes a full year to plan and prepare for this orchid show?! After we choose a theme, my assistant and I work closely with a team of volunteers to design and build props in our workshop behind the floral display hall. This year’s show presents the art of growing, illustrating and displaying the Garden’s extensive orchid collection. Among the hundreds of live...

Voice: Babs Wagner I’m Babs Wagner, the horticulturist in charge of the Garden’s orchid collection. Behind the scenes in the greenhouse, we tend thousands of plants. For the orchid show, I display as many different kinds as I can, so you can see the amazing diversity of our collection. The stars of this show are the winter bloomers. To get them ready on time, I juggle the greenhouse temperatures, starting in October. By doing this, I can force the flowers to bloom early or delay their bloom...

Voice: Andrew Colligan, archivist and historian Resources: Public Relations fact sheet, Bulletin articles, Kemper Center handout I’m Andrew Colligan, the Garden’s archivist and historian. The Missouri Botanical Garden has collected, grown and displayed orchids for more than a century. The first specimens were given as a gift to the Garden’s founder, Henry Shaw, in 1876. Mr. Shaw was especially fond of orchids. At his death in 1889, the Garden’s collection, though small at the time, was one...

Voice: Jenn Wolff, Exhibit and Information Coordinator Hello, I’m Jennifer Wolff, Exhibit and Information Coordinator at the Garden. A portion of our orchid collection is always on display throughout the year. Just inside the Beaumont Room under the atrium, you’ll find a beautiful selection of orchids in bloom. The Beaumont Room is located in the education wing just west of the ticket counter in the Ridgway Center. Also, growing amidst the beauty of the rain forest, a stunning array of...

Voice: Jan Simons, Vice President of Retail Operations I’m Jan Simons, Vice President of Retail Operations. Stop by the Garden Gate Shop and check out our great selection of potted orchids, and everything you need to grow them. If you’re buying an orchid for the first time, try an easy-to-grow Phalaenopsis. It’s also known as the “moth orchid.” Our prices start as low as $6 for a small seedling. For about $40, you can buy a nice-sized plant in bloom. And remember, proceeds from your...

Voice: Lisa Brandon, Public Relations Manager I’m Lisa Brandon, Public Relations Manager. After you enjoy the orchid show, stop by our historic Linnean House, outside the Ridgway Center. From now until mid-March, more than 50 different camellias will fill the conservatory with blooms of red, white and pink. Look for the rare, yellow-flowering camellia. This one usually blooms in early March. As you enter the Linnean House, you’ll notice a sweet fragrance - but it’s not the camellias, because...

Voice: Dr. Peter H. Raven, president Thank you for visiting The Art of Orchids. We certainly hope you’ve enjoyed your experience. This audio tour is being offered as a pilot to enhance your visit to the Garden and your feedback will help guide as we strive to improve ways to connect to you, the visitor. When you’re ready, please press the pound key to record comments about your experience, to make suggestions for improvements or to leave questions about something you heard on the...