Planning my weekend ...

We are having one of my favorite weathers this weekend and I must take advantage. My first stop will be The New York Botanical Garden to check out The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower by Cuban-born, Palm Beach-based designer Jorge Sánchez who has re-created the city of Havana, "infused with Caribbean rhythm and romance". I am beyond excited. Those who do know me personally know that I LOVE Orchids. Its my favorite flower... roses are not ;o) . There is something about that flower that makes it special. You would think that I would know a lot on Orchids, but the truth is that I only know that they last long and smell lovely . I did some research today ... read on:

In most cultures, going back hundreds of not thousands of years, the orchid appears as a symbol of beauty, royalty or love. As such, in ancient Europe, orchids were often used as a main ingredient in love potions. Orchids have been collected, grown and harvested by humans for a very long time. In ancient and present day Greece, orchids have long been associated with virility and fertility. In ancient and in modern Greece, women believed that if the father of their unborn child would consume the largest and newest orchid stems and roots, then their child would be a male. On the other side of the coin, the ancient Greeks believed that if the mother ate small orchid roots and stems, then she would give birth to a girl.
In the Victorian era in Europe, orchids were largely seen as a symbol of luxury and elegance, and not so much as a symbol of fertility and virility, although the ancient beliefs still held strong is some places. Today, the pink orchid is commonly designated as the 14th wedding anniversary flower, symbolizing affection and love.
The shape of orchids has always been pleasing to people due to the symmetry of the flowers to the stems and leaves. This has led to the orchid being a symbol of perfection and beauty for hundreds of years. With such a long history with people, it is not surprising that orchid symbology has religious overtones. Orchids have been said to represent many different things through the years in Christian theology, but the most popular and commonly recognized symbol is the spots on orchids representing the blood of Christ. As such, orchids are found in many Easter and even Christmas arrangements in many cultures and are commonly found in many churches as altar decorations.
One of the most famous orchids is the vanilla orchid. This orchid's history goes all the way back to the time of the Aztecs. The vanilla orchid grew wild in the part of Mexico where the Aztecs lived and was viewed as a symbol of strength. The ancient Aztecs were said to have drank a mixture of vanilla orchid flowers as a strength potion.
Regardless of the culture, the colors of the orchid has always captivated people who have interpreted them in a variety of positive ways. To this day, the most popular and lasting interpretations have been love, beauty, wisdom, and thoughtfulness. In China, the orchid symbolizes innocence and culture. The pink orchid has indicated pure affection for hundreds of years. The cattalya orchid still stands for mature charm, and is commonly found in Mother's Day arrangements. (From Ezine Articles)