The community is invited to celebrate the beauty and elegance of orchids during the Myriad Gardens Foundation’s second annual “Orchids in October” fall celebration, October 2-4.
An Orchid Sale will kick off the three-day celebration at 9 a.m. on October 2. The south lobby of the Crystal Bridge will transform into an orchid emporium – filled with several hundred high-quality orchids, including Cattleya, Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis, Miltonia, Oncidium and Vanda.
Horticulturalists and seasoned members of the Orchid Society will be on hand to help inexperienced growers choose the best orchid variety for their living conditions. Sale hours are 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., October 2-4. Proceeds from the orchid sale will benefit the Myriad Gardens Foundation.
Also on October 2, beautification advocate and community leader Dannie Bea Hightower will be honored at a tribute luncheon for her decades of service to the Myriad Botanical Gardens. The event will take place at 11:30 a.m. on the outdoor Water Stage. Hightower’s leadership has led to the development of the Myriad Botanical Gardens’ education program, the construction of the Dean A. McGee Center and the initiation of the Oklahoma Garden Festival.
Those wishing to honor Hightower by attending the luncheon can purchase a ticket by calling the Myriad Gardens Foundation at (405) 297-3974.
Free admission will be extended to all visitors to the Crystal Bridge on Friday, October 3, to continue the “Orchids in October” celebration. Fall blooming orchids in all sizes, shapes and colors will be featured throughout the Crystal Bridge as a part of an Orchidaceous Art exhibit, on display from September 15 - November 2. Visitors can get an up-close and personal look at the intricate blooms of hundreds of plants on display in the Crystal Bridge.
The Crystal Bridge is now home to more than 1,500 orchids, many of which were bequest to the Gardens by orchid collector Fred Strothmann. The Strothmann collection contained many rare and unusual species from some of the most exotic places in the world.
The Myriad Gardens Foundation is a private, non-profit organization created to provide capital funding and increase public awareness of the Myriad Botanical Gardens.
The Myriad Botanical Gardens is located at Reno and Robinson in downtown Oklahoma City. Admission is $5 for adults; $3.50 for seniors 62+ and students 13-18 or adult with a college ID; $2.50 for children 4-12 and free for Myriad Gardens Foundation members. Call (405) 297-3995 for more information.