Tour ORCHID CONSERVATORY at Hillwood Estate — Ep. 367
Summary
TLDRJoin Jessica Bon, the director of horticulture at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, as she takes us on a tour through the estate's lush greenhouses. Discover a diverse collection of over 2,000 orchids and tropicals, including the beloved Cattleya, which was Marjorie Post's favorite. Learn about the unique care and environment required for these beautiful plants, from the warm and intermediate greenhouses to the cooler areas. Experience the vibrant colors and scents of the orchids, and gain insight into the estate's commitment to preserving Marjorie Post's legacy through their horticultural practices.
Takeaways
- 🌷 The Hillwood estate Museum and Gardens is home to an impressive orchid collection, which was the passion of its former resident, Margerie Merriweather Post.
- 🏡 Margerie Post expanded the estate's original greenhouse in 1955 by adding four more, housing a collection of about 2,000 orchids and tropicals.
- 💐 The estate's orchid collection includes a variety of species and cultivars, with a particular emphasis on Cattleya, which was Post's favorite.
- 🌳 The greenhouses are divided into different environments to accommodate the varying needs of orchids, including warm, intermediate, and cool houses.
- 🌼 The estate features a working greenhouse that is on view all year long, unlike temporary displays found in other institutions.
- 🍃 The care for the orchids involves using a chunky bark medium with charcoal for tropical orchids, simulating the forest floor of a rainforest.
- 🐝 While the greenhouse is closed to the public, it still attracts some pollinators like bees and butterflies.
- 🌱 The estate underwent a major restoration from 1997 to 2000, which included tearing down and rebuilding the greenhouses in the same style as originally designed by Post.
- 🌿 The estate's horticulture team is committed to preserving Post's legacy by maintaining a collection similar to what she had and adding new acquisitions over time.
- 💧 The orchids are watered using a dosatron system, which allows for precise application of water and nutrients.
- 🐞 The estate manages pests organically by releasing beneficial insects to combat issues like scale and thrips, which are common in orchid cultivation.
Q & A
Who is Jessica Bon and what is her role at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens?
-Jessica Bon is the Director of Horticulture at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, where she oversees the care and display of the estate's extensive plant collections.
Who was Marjorie Merriweather Post and what was her connection to orchids?
-Marjorie Merriweather Post was an American businesswoman, collector, philanthropist, and a lover of orchids. She was the former resident of Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, and she had a collection of about 2,000 orchids and tropicals.
What was the original number of greenhouses at Hillwood Estate before Marjorie Post expanded them?
-There was originally one greenhouse at Hillwood Estate. Marjorie Post added four more greenhouses when she moved in and bought the property in 1955.
What is the significance of the orchid collection at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens?
-The orchid collection at Hillwood Estate is significant because it was curated by Marjorie Post, who was particularly fond of orchids. The collection showcases a variety of species and cultivars, including her favorite, the Cattleya.
How are the orchids at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens displayed throughout the year?
-The orchids at Hillwood Estate are displayed in working greenhouses that are on view all year long. They are not just displayed temporarily during blooming periods like in some other institutions.
What is the role of an orchid curator at Hillwood Estate?
-The orchid curator at Hillwood Estate is responsible for taking care of the orchid collection. This includes managing the health and growth of the orchids, as well as maintaining the legacy of Marjorie Post's collection.
Can you describe the different types of environments in the greenhouses at Hillwood Estate?
-The greenhouses at Hillwood Estate are divided into different environments to accommodate various types of orchids. There are warm houses, an intermediate house, and a cooler house, each designed to meet the specific needs of the orchids they house.
What is the significance of the Vanda orchid mentioned in the script and its unique scent?
-The Vanda orchid mentioned in the script is significant because of its unique scent, which is likened to grape soda. This distinctive fragrance adds to the allure of the orchid and showcases the diversity within the collection.
How do the staff at Hillwood Estate manage pests and diseases in the greenhouses?
-The staff at Hillwood Estate manage pests and diseases in the greenhouses organically. They release beneficial insects to combat insect problems like scales and thrips, and also use mechanical methods such as alcohol to remove pests.
What is the process for introducing new orchids to the collection at Hillwood Estate?
-The process for introducing new orchids to the collection at Hillwood Estate involves maintaining the vibe and legacy set by Marjorie Post. While not much of the original collection remains, the estate continues to add and fix the collection, ensuring it aligns with her preferences and the overall aesthetic of the estate.
How do the staff at Hillwood Estate care for the orchids in terms of watering and fertilizing?
-The staff at Hillwood Estate use a dosatron to spray a nutrient solution onto the orchids, which can be applied to both the leaves and roots. They also mention misting in the house, indicating that they provide a humid environment suitable for orchid growth.
Outlines
🌷 Introduction to Hillwood's Orchid Collection
The video begins with an introduction to Jessica Bon, the director of horticulture at Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens. She discusses the estate's history as the former residence of Marjorie Merriweather Post, a businesswoman, collector, philanthropist, and orchid enthusiast. Jessica takes the viewer on a tour of the estate's greenhouses, which were expanded by Post in the 1950s to accommodate her growing collection of orchids. The greenhouses are home to a permanent display of around 2,000 orchid and tropical plants, including many cultivars, with a particular focus on Cattleya, Post's favorite. The video highlights the unique nature of the working greenhouses, which are on view all year round, contrasting with temporary displays at other institutions.
🏡 Greenhouse Expansion and Orchid Care
This paragraph delves into the history of the greenhouses and the evolution of the orchid collection. Jessica explains that the original collection has been supplemented over time, and that a significant restoration took place between 1997 and 2000, which included the rebuilding of the greenhouses in the same style as Marjorie Post's original design. The focus shifts to the care of the orchids, with a mention of the use of a dosatron for fertilization and the release of beneficial insects to manage pests like scale and thrips in an organic manner. The video also showcases different types of orchids, such as the dancing lady and spider orchids, and the importance of creating an environment suitable for their growth, including the use of fans and shade paint to regulate temperature and light.
🌼 Orchid Varieties and Environmental Needs
The discussion continues with an exploration of the different varieties of orchids and their specific environmental needs. Jessica describes the division of the greenhouses into warm, intermediate, and cool houses to accommodate the different preferences of the orchids. She highlights the beauty of the dendrobiums and the importance of their thick stems for water storage. The video also touches on the concept of epiphytic and terrestrial orchids, explaining how their growth habits and care requirements differ. Jessica emphasizes the use of a chunky bark and charcoal mix for the orchids, which mimics the natural environment of a tropical rainforest floor.
🌺 Orchid Display and Marjorie's Legacy
In this section, the focus is on the display of the orchids and the efforts to preserve Marjorie Post's legacy. Jessica talks about the process of mounting orchids on driftwood or bark to mimic their natural growing conditions in trees. She also mentions the importance of maintaining the vibe of the collection that Marjorie had established, with an emphasis on her favorite types of orchids, such as the Cattleya and the Dendrobium. The video showcases the beauty of the orchids in bloom and the efforts to keep the collection vibrant and true to Marjorie's vision.
🌿 Conclusion and Invitation to Explore Further
The video concludes with a reflection on the importance of Marjorie Post's influence on the Hillwood Estate's orchid collection and the desire to honor her legacy. Jessica expresses the hope that Marjorie would be proud of the current state of the collection. The video ends with an invitation for viewers to explore the Japanese-style garden at Hillwood Estate, as featured on a sister channel, and an encouragement to subscribe for more content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Orchid
💡Horticulture
💡Greenhouse
💡Cultivar
💡Orchid Curator
💡Tropical Plants
💡Dendrobium
💡Vanilla Orchid
💡Epiphytic
💡Pollination
💡Restoration
Highlights
Introduction to Jessica Bon, Director of Horticulture at Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens.
Hillwood Estate was the former residence of Marjorie Merriweather Post, a businesswoman, collector, philanthropist, and orchid enthusiast.
Orchid collection tour showcasing over 2,000 orchids and tropicals, including many cultivars.
Cattleya orchids, a favorite of Marjorie Post, are highlighted for their corsage-like appearance.
The greenhouses were expanded from one to five when Marjorie Post moved to the property in 1955.
Hiring of an orchid curator to manage the growing collection.
Year-round display of orchids in the working greenhouses, unlike temporary exhibits in other institutions.
Vanda orchids described for their candy-like scent, specifically grape soda.
Greenhouse division into warm, intermediate, and cool houses to accommodate different orchid species.
Dendrobium orchids discussed for their thick stems and water storage capabilities.
Companion plants like Bonas and palms enhance the greenhouse environment.
Restoration and rebuilding of the greenhouses from 1997 to 2000 for public accessibility.
Phragmipedium and Paphiopedilum slipper orchids are featured, with their unique lip structure.
Oncidium orchids, known as dancing ladies, are shown with their captivating movement when fans are on.
Pollination in the greenhouses is primarily done by bees and occasionally lost butterflies.
Cultivation techniques for epiphytic and semi-terrestrial orchids using chunky bark and charcoal.
Vanilla orchids are recognized as climbers, highlighting their diversity within the orchid family.
Phenomenal moth orchid collection displayed in a warm house with controlled light conditions.
Use of a dosatron for fertilizing orchids through spraying.
Organic pest management with beneficial insects to combat scale and other pests.
Preservation of Marjorie Post's legacy through maintaining the vibe and types of orchids she favored.
Creative mounting of orchids on driftwood or bark to mimic their natural growing conditions.
Noble dendrobium showcased for its impactful display and color.
Transcripts
[Music]
[Applause]
okay into the conservatory so before we
start tell me a little bit about who you
are what you do here and what we're
about to see absolutely so I'm Jessica
Bon I'm the director of horticulture
here at Hillwood estate Museum and
Gardens and we're the former residents
of margerie weather post and she was an
amazing businesswoman collector
philanthropist and she was a lover of
orchids so we're going to go through and
uh see our Orchid collection today and
and talk a little bit more about
[Music]
orchids so the green houses themselves
there originally was one house and then
when she moved in in the 1955 and bought
the property she added four more houses
as one does cuz you know your greenhous
is never big enough absolutely yes and
then she went through and as she was
growing her collection she also hired a
orchid curator to take care of them so
she ended up with a collection of about
2,000 orcan and tropicals wow so and
that's species or cultivars or a little
bit of both or uh lots of cultivars I
see a bunch of cat L here as well so and
that was her favorite for sure are like
the corsage you know I feel like these
are like they look like corsages you
know they're absolutely yeah the big
flower you know big flowers and here you
can see you know the typical that they
have the three three petals and three
seil and you know this wonderful
modified lip is this like a permanent
collection here or do you kind of move
them in and out as they're flowering no
these are working greenh houses so what
you see this is on view all year long
wow okay that's a little very different
from like what I see you know if I go to
even the Smithsonian or whatever when
they have their display they're always
looking at what's blooming and they're
kind of put it out so that's interesting
yes throughout the year we'll take
orchids from other parts of of the
houses and make our nice entry display
but yes start walking through and see so
actually if we could start just right up
here because I want you to smell this so
if you could smell this Vanda it smells
like candy a little bit Yeah grape soda
AB you know it's so funny when you you
say it and then you're like oh yeah but
then it's grape colored yeah and then
you think it you know it doesn't smell
like orange soda it doesn't smell like
root beer it smells like grape soda it
really does it's it's really amazing and
it's really across of a couple different
uh plants but this has uh you know you
can see here the um Moes leprechaun
cross with the Vana and it's really just
lovely you never know when you cross
them what it's going to smell I know for
sure um so our green houses are kind of
divided uh into different environments
okay so we have like I said four houses
dedicated uh to orchids themselves uh so
we have warm houses an intermediate
house and then a cool cooler house so
okay so then you you you really can't
probably mix and match too much because
some of those orchids will do better in
a cool house verus a warm house kind of
the intermediates um we don't typically
so and cooler houses that we'll see in a
minute our our sidium and we typically
don't bring them out too much um but the
intermediate and and warm Seasons I love
things even like this because they're
not as you know Bodacious as some of the
other ones but the little greenish
yellow chartreuse colors with that
coloration of the red I think it's so
cute oh my gosh yes it's a wonderful
dendrobium here so and uh we'll see more
of them but they have really thick stems
and this serves as water stor
are they deciduous at all or not um uh
dendrobiums usually they can be
deciduous semi evergreen or Evergreen
this is typically an evergreen one I was
going to say this is actually quite a
firm Leaf so they put a lot of energy in
this I they probably wouldn't want to
use it it's a yeah really uh very
they're very interesting so and we have
a lot of companion plants I should just
kind of point out too like like the
Bonas y you
have kind of fill in the gaps Palms yeah
you got it yeah makes it more
interesting and we also love um the
Spanish moss too since we talk about I
see you have it to land snow it's
everywhere we had yeah we've had a lot
of Spanish moss for for a long time so
it's great yeah really neat now are a
lot of these um part of the collection
have been from The Collection since
marjerie was here or are these new
acquisitions how do you go about that
yes um not a whole lot left from her
original collection things have been
moved around they went other another
place at one point and came back so it
has been building over the over the time
period but yeah not really original and
we are always adding and fixing you know
from like 97 to 2000 we did aot Big
restoration and actually the green
houses were torn down and rebuilt but in
the same style as Marjorie post had um
but a lot of that was for accessibility
there was actually steps in the
greenhouse so like you're opening up to
the public now you have to kind of think
about those accessibilities absolutely
and they did a lot of those changes
throughout the whole Gardens as well you
know got it we want it to yeah be
available to everybody so and here's
another cat Lea yes oh look at this
little bee he's just waiting he's
waiting for some sun oh it's a b fly
actually that's great he's just waiting
just wait for that sun to come up that's
great so we would consider uh this one
of our warmer houses and then also um as
we go around that way and then this
would be our intermediate house okay so
this really houses a lot of our patheo
petalum and uh fragmap dium slipper
orchids and if you're over this way you
know they're slipper orchids because the
lip actually looks like a little
[Music]
slipper
for our slipper orchids
more from the Western Hemisphere going
Central South America but they kind of
developed the same type of I I guess
like system like that little pouch down
below yes yeah absolutely on this side
also more Western Hemisphere plants
these oncidiums and you know they're the
dancing ladies the dancing lady yeah we
turned the fans off but if the fans were
on they would be dancing for us that's
for sure yeah
the cultivars of uh the hybrids of the
um brasas as well gilded urch and
Halo those are pretty impressive and you
can see why it gets spider yeah it's the
spider Orchid
yep and then these are they almost look
like they have a rolled over petals mhm
and this one this is Sherry baby this is
idium Sherry baby and you can smell that
and that's has more like of a chocolaty
vanilla kind of scent to it very light
right now but I wonder if like
throughout the day yeah it starts to
pick up some of the
who's actually pollinating who's coming
in here and pollinating some of these
flowers do you ever see I mean we just
saw a bee fly but yeah we'll get yeah
we'll get some bees in here but yeah
because it's closed we don't get a whole
lot um we will get we'll get some lost
butterflies unfortunately in here but
yeah and then you have some uh your
terrestrial orchids like your ludisia
yes this color yeah love the foliage on
this you know well that's one of the
things too is uh you know a lot of
people go for orchids for their for
their blooms but the terrestrial orchids
you know even our some of our native
terrestrial orchids are really beautiful
so yes yes and even like as you're
talking I'm sure your your viewers know
more about this but a lot of these that
we just saw the the fragmap and the
pathalum they're more terrestrial orans
or semi yes compared to like the cat
leas which are more epiic or lithophytic
now does that encourage you to actually
then plant them slightly differently or
in different kind of planting medium or
what's your way of caretaking an
epithetic versus like a semi-terrestrial
one yeah I tell you with the way we have
them right in in here um we're pretty
much using the same medium for them but
we use a very chunky because even though
they are terrestrial these are tropical
orchids so what the forest floor of a
you know of a rainforest is different
than like what we would do for like a
native Orchid here in the clay of
Maryland so so really it's all this kind
of chunky chunky bark um with some
charcoal um U mixed in so the water can
drain right
through little fuzz right here it's like
a belly button
fuzz they're wonderful yeah for
sure and here this is a great one too
this is Julius is the cultivar on that
looks like a bit of Roth's child's Iana
kind of species but do you know what
it's crossed with or um I don't know for
that one yeah but it's really amazing
and some of them this uh the petals can
be really long and you know these this
is a Fus together seel here yeah look at
the
size the size of that flower yeah that
is incredible look at the water sitting
in it too I think this is where
sometimes people get the idea that this
could that it looks a little carnivorous
even though it's not yes look like you
know what you would see in an aeny
something of that nature and the color
of course too but it's but it's not at
all mhm you know a wonderful Vanda In
Bloom
phenomenal and that one is uh nope P all
delight and again you can see how we
grow uh vandas a little different
they're not in uh really not in pots at
all um we just let them have the The
Roots just grow right down you spraying
like like hosing them down or how do you
give them like a at least a little drink
oh absolutely y well cuz this does this
have Mist in this house or do we have
misting in the house as well fantastic
and then here's a vanilla Orchid correct
yes yeah mhm not in bloom but you know
climbing up and so many people forget
that vanilla's are are
orchids it's kind of like a climbing
Orchid and like people you know often
times you see the ones in the pots and
you're like oh that that makes sense and
then all of a sudden there's a climber
and you're like what
[Music]
so this is another warmhouse actually so
this has our moth Orchid collection
total the um phenopsis and you see lots
of different colors and patterns um it's
always really exciting so Andrew bmah is
our actually Orchid and tropical
specialist and he put together uh you
know that kind of more uh Longwood s
ball at the top so my goodness I think
like we came at a pretty good time
because it's it feels like there's a lot
in bloom it feels like you would have
moved a lot of these into here but it's
interesting that it's a working
production greenhouse and this is all
what it is right now yeah um and well uh
March is Orchid month for us so we do a
lot of programming um it is when our
most of our collection is In Bloom but
we'll have a lot of blooms really up
until the end of May so there's quite a
bit to see phenopsis like a little lower
light so that's definitely why they're
on this side of the bench but then we
have the extra uh uh shade cloth right
above your head and then too we do um
use shade paint on the greenh houses to
kind of control uh how much light is
getting in here because even a lot of
the orchids that like quite a bit of sun
really don't couldn't take this full
direct sun right especially facing here
Sun summertime and like 12:00 hour
direct overhead so there's yeah shade
paint on the green houses most of the
time the colorations are just
so awesome yeah it's like splatter paint
and then this one is so beautiful too
this one is a branti m
maai kind of beautiful gorgeous
coloration of that lilac just kind of
Fading Into
[Music]
cream
[Music]
and this one kind of seems out of uh out
of touch with it the rest of the color
you know it's like you got you got a lot
of creams and purples and pinks and then
this one is such a kind of loud fire
engine orange yeah this is also a great
way it looks like some of these are just
kind of displayed and you have all these
aerial roots that are just kind of
hanging
out yeah and and that's really how they
like to grow um you know they can grow
uh often you know Roots over 3 feet long
are you now is there any kind of
fertilizing regime here at all yes yeah
we how do you do that yep um so we have
um a dosatron mhm um which uh you know
has a tank at the bottom and we hook it
up to the hose and uh you just spray
them spray it on fascinating mhm and
leaves in all it doesn't it doesn't you
know you could put it on the leaves you
could put it on the roots and absolutely
it's good okay yep y um and for like
disease and insects we are really
managing uh the ground the green houses
more organically so we release
beneficial insects um to combat uh you
know insect problems scales and thrips
or what are some of the biggest issues
that you have to deal with I would say
scale is our biggest problem right uh
and then me bug the brown scales I find
are really challenging when I when I go
to a lot of botanic gardens it's like
one of the ones that they will use a
systemic like insecticide for because
there's not a lot of integrated Pest
Management that really attacks the hard
scale is that's something that you have
to find too where you're just like oh
it's a little bit more challenging oh
for sure yeah I mean a lot of the scale
is challenging in general so uh so again
we're trying to find um you know the
right insects to combat that but it is a
lot of mechanical taking stuff off you
know using um alcohol as well and and
taking them off it's challenging in here
though I can see CU everything's uh
rubbing elbows Close Quarters yes Close
Quarters for sure so this is our coolest
house this is the sidium house and you
could see yeah we have quite a few
midium here along the yeah the right yes
yeah some dendrobiums also it's kind of
like a raw meat color you
know here
[Music]
is
[Music]
but how often are you bringing something
new in is it is it something I know
you're not specifically the Orchid
curator but like is there um you know is
there like a thing where it's like I
really have to have that one or you want
to display it or is it more just about
kind of keeping the vibe of what like
Marjorie had set out to have here so
it's certainly about keeping the vibe
and actually um upon her passing they
did do an inventory of what she had but
it wasn't it was a little less specific
than we would have liked yeah but we do
try to keep you you know very similar uh
to what she had in terms like I said of
Gena cuz it's really also preserving her
Legacy as well and if if it was
something that she liked the sidium and
she liked the catayas then to like
really lean into that as well for sure
and then we have different ways too and
I can show you some other examples on
the way out but we like to mount you can
see some mounted orchids like on a root
or something yeah some Driftwood that
was bound but we have some just on bark
so it's um it's really amazing cuz you
know they really evolve to uh be up in
the trees and they anchor themselves in
with their Roots so um it's really a
natural way to to have them do that if
you have a downed tree here or whatever
you could get a little creative and you
know plug your orchid on it sure and
then this is the the noble dendrobium
here just the lovely I think the the
flowers are it's like a bullseye Target
right into oh my gosh in like a a full a
full display it's really impactful yeah
and I I love I think they um the staff
was genius about putting it in with the
croin like the similar color palettes
like a lot of colors you know coming
out well this is great I mean thank you
so much for sharing like this and and
also just a piece of like Marjorie as
well CU for people who didn't know her
you know it's always nice to see a
collection even though it might not be
her original collection you're kind of
leaning into like maybe what she would
have had here oh Absol
is I mean she's the driving force of
what we do we we want her to be proud of
what we do yes we want her to
recognize what we're doing so I'm sure
she I'm sure she does I'm sure she's in
the clouds right now saying oh my God
this is like phenomenal well thank you
so much this is lovely and I'm really
looking forward to actually exploring
the the Japanese garden as well
fantastic I hope you enjoyed that film
here on plant one on me and if you
haven't yet be sure to subscribe here to
help us grow the channel and get
notified when new videos release as you
heard in the last part of the film we
take a stroll through the Japanese style
Garden at Hillwood estate on our sister
Channel over at flock fingerlakes so be
sure to check that out too if that
interests you thanks so much and we'll
see you in the next
video
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