Breathtaking Bronx

In yesterday's post, I promised that I would provide photographs of my visit to the orchid show at the New York Botanical Garden with the lovely and brilliant Dr Jen as soon as I could connect my phone to my laptop.  I'm glad I got the logistics of the trip covered yesterday, so I can concentrate on the breathtaking beauty of the flowers on display.

We'll begin with the venue of the flower show, the 1902-vintage Enid Haupt Conservatory.  As we wended our way along the winding paths of the Botanical Garden, we suddenly saw a flash of sunlight on glass, signaling the location of this massive greenhouse.  Dr Jen made a quip about how, when she was studying pathfinding in the US Army, she learned how important it is to look up to get one's bearings.  The centerpiece of the conservatory is the glass dome, which is impressive when viewed from inside or out:

The conservatory was a perfect sanctuary on an uncharacteristically chilly (40F 4.44C) late April morning, though the warmth and humidity necessitated the removal of outerwear and hats.  The environment was perfect for a profusion of orchids, though:

 

The orchids weren't the only stars.  Climbing up a metal stairway to the canopy of the conservatory revealed some spectacular plants- I was particularly taken with this epiphytic cycad, Zama pseudoparasitica:

There was also this interesting bloom in the canopy, though I wasn't able to ascertain its identity... I love the color of this thing:

Many orchids are also epiphytes, such as these orchids being photographed by this fine specimen of Doctoria jenensis, out of her natural environment:

I have to confess that I was extremely lazy about checking out the Latin binomials of these flowers because I doubt they have common names that a layperson would recognize, but there was a riot of wonderful forms and colors.  

This burgundy beauty was particularly striking:

The form of this flower is wonderfully ornate:

If I had to guess, I imagine that this lovely specimen is a lady's slipper orchid, some species of which can be found in these here United States:

The cumulative effect of all these beautiful colors was inspiring, and the fragrance of the flowers was a constant background note:

In such a wonderland (you know, the Bronx), can one fail to be happy?

Look at those two merry adventurers, grinning ear-to-ear in a tropical paradise nestled in the heart of New York City's solitary mainland borough.  My goal was to convince Dr Jen that she should love the Bronx, as I do, and I think I achieved my goal.  I mean, how can one not love such a breathtaking borough?