An Orchid’s Allure
November 15th, 2006 Posted in Wedding Planning and IdeasThe history, magic and beauty of orchids dates back to over 2500 years ago. Orchids not only fascinated Confucius and the Greeks and Romans, but also captivated people worldwide for centuries on end. In recent years, the orchid has boomed in popularity. Orchid sales are increasing rapidly as people become more and more aware of the orchid’s undeniable beauty. These hardy and easy-to-maintain flowers are being used for numerous events ranging from weddings and house decorations to television sets and design magazines. With over 30,000 individual species available, there is an orchid for every person’s tastes.
Some of the largest and most popular classes of orchids are the Cymbidium, Dendrobium and Oncidium Orchids. The cymbidium orchids are fragrant and quite durable, featuring several large flowers per stem. If you are looking to place your orchids in an arrangement that will be featured in place with fairly cool temperatures, pass on the cymbidiums. They tend to perish in cooler temperatures. Dendrobiums make up the second largest class of orchids with several smaller blossoms on a single stem. They look stunning as single blooms and even more dazzling when their long stems are placed into tall arrangements. As the third class of orchids, the Oncidium orchids add perfect splashes of color to any arrangement or table centerpiece. These tiny blossoms are commonly available in yellow, red and reddish brown. Whichever orchid you find more alluring, just remember people from centuries ago would have agreed with you.
According to Greek mythology, orchids came about when a young man named Orchis attended a festival and laid eyes on a beautiful young priestess. Whether it was due to his excessive drinking that night or simply poor judgment, he whisked her away and supposedly raped her. The festival guests became enraged and ripped him apart. Orchis’ father begged in vain to the gods to make him whole again. Although they refused his wishes, they did take pity on the father and allow his son’s remains to be transformed into a beautiful flower, the Orchid.
The fascination that people have had for orchids will live on for years. It has been a flower that has inspired people for centuries. As is evident with its recent increase in popularity amongst today’s societies, we continue to be captivated by the orchid’s allure.