By Susan Shinn
Salisbury Post
BELMONT ó Beautiful, exotic, tranquil, fragrant, breathtaking. I could go on and on, but you get my point. The Orchid Conservatory at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden was set to open Saturday.
If you’ve never been to the garden ó which stretches to nearly 400 acres outside of Belmont ó the conservatory is the perfect opportunity.
The site includes gardens, manicured lawns and woodlands in which to wander. The gardens will continue to grow, part of a 50-year master plan set forth by the late Daniel Stowe and the garden’s board of directors.
The addition of the conservatory makes the garden a year-round facility. Besides tours from groups and individuals, it’s used for meetings, and about 130 weddings are year are held there.
“This just completes the circle,” said Jim Hoffman, the garden’s director of marketing and guest services.
With the addition of the conservatory, Hoffman expects a 20-30 percent increase in the garden’s annual visitation of 87,000.
Orchids might well be the most gorgeous species of flower ó but in nature, they don’t grow alone.
“The idea was to build a conservatory with a horticultural display,” Hoffman said. “Orchids exist with other plants. We’ve created a number of ecosystems.”
The glass conservatory ó five stories high at its peak ó contains plants from all over the world.
Every continent save for Antarctica is represented, according to James Burghardt, conservatory manager.
The $12.5 million project had more than 300 donors.
On a cold, cloudy afternoon, having the building all to ourselves was a luxury.
Visitors enter the 8,000-square-foot conservatory at the butterfly court. This fall, for about six weeks, butterflies will fill this area, which is full of the nectar plants they love.
The conservatory’s humidity is noticeably higher in winter ó it’s set anywhere from 50 to 75 percent depending on time of year.
Interior temperatures will range from 60 to 85 degrees, but Burghardt promised the mist would cool off visitors in the summer heat.
We strolled underneath tall bromeliad arches, which Hoffman explained would fill in as “air plants” grew.
He and I were chatting in front of a piece of glass sculpture from the Luske Collection ó one of several pieces in the conservatory on loan from Charlotte collectors ó when I turned to see the Cascade Wall.
The showpiece of the orchid area, this rock waterfall contains about 100 orchids ó a hanging garden full of color and fragrance.
“Hey, Jamie,” Hoffman called out to his colleague ahead of us, “she gasped!”
It is truly a magnificent sight.
As the blooms fade, they’ll be switched out, Burghardt explained, so the wall will be in a constant state of change.
On Wednesday, we saw cattleya orchids ó big, showy orchids popular for corsages; tiny oncidium or Dancing Ladies orchids which swayed with the slightest bit of breeze from ceiling fans high above; phalaenopsis or moth orchids which hung suspended in baskets from the ceiling; brassia or spider orchids, appropriately named; and the impressive Dendrobium orchid in any number of hues.
The wall is supplemented by Spanish moss and wart ferns.
Although the afternoon was overcast, Burghardt pointed out shade gardens and gardens with plants that love the sun. In full sun, the differentiation is much easier.
Many of the plants showed off their bright foliage as well. Not only can visitors smell a variety of fragrances, they’ll be delighted by all the colors and textures, too. Cyclamens throughout the building add seasonal color in red, rose, pink and white.
Burghardt pointed out that many of the plants have fun and entertaining names ó starfish flower, tiger leaf, dolphin agave, cat’s tail and many more.
There are even stinky plants.
For example, Burghardt said the starfish flower smells like rotting meat when it blooms. Why put a flower like that in a place like this?
“It’s a very beautiful flower and it’s interesting,” Burghardt said. “You won’t forget it.”
(I was just as glad it wasn’t blooming during our visit.)
Away from the Cascade Wall, a tropical color display takes center stage. The fernery has shade-loving plants including cycads. They’re not ferns and they’re not palms, and they’ve been around since the dinosaurs, Burghardt said.
The conservatory’s central courtyard features a gazebo with a reflecting pool. Facing the pool is a wall full of hydroponic plants. Right now, the plants are small, and it’s interesting to see the wall’s framework or “bones.” It should fill out in about six months, Hoffman said.
There are benches throughout the building, encouraging visitors to take their time. Hoffman noted that artists were welcome to come and sketch.
Hoffman believes that the conservatory will have a very broad appeal ó not only to Master Gardeners and garden groups and artists, but even to the most casual of plant lovers.
You don’t have to be interested in plants at all to appreciate the conservatory’s beauty, he said. “It extends our appeal as a world-class destination.”
Return visits are encouraged. Hoffman admitted that it’s overwhelming to try to see everything among 14,000 plants.
“You’ve got to come all the time,” Burghardt said, “because you’ll always get something different when you come.”
There’s an alcove with succulent plants that thrive in arid conditions. Burghardt assured me that yes, some of those spikes were as sharp as they looked ó I didn’t doublecheck him on that.
And there’s an area full of useful plants: pineapple, grapefruit, star fruit, lime, papaya and more ó even cinnamon tree and a pepper vine. Did you know vanilla comes from orchids?
(Photographer Jon Lakey did.)
Burghardt and two other staff members will keep the conservatory looking its best.
(Only 3 people? Holy moly!)
If you’re impressed with the work of Burghardt and his staff, you can take a piece of the garden home with you, with a plant from the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden store.
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The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is located at 6500 S. New Hope Road, just outside Belmont. It’s open 9 a.m. 5 p.m. daily. For more information, visit www.DSBG.org or call 704-825-4490.
nnnContact Susan Shinn at 704-797-4289 or sshinn@salisburypost.com.