Botanical Orchid Garden

August 2021

Botanical Orchid Garden
Costa Rica’s wild orchids arerenowned for their beauty, color and charm. In fact, Costa Rica’s National Flower, is an orchid, the guaria morada (Guariantheskinneri), known for its gorgeous purple hues and diamond-like shimmer. Todayorchidshave been commercializedand beautify homesthroughout the world, with attractive displays of flowers that can last for months.But nonecan compare to the exquisite allure of the orchids found at Blue River Resort & Hot Springs’ Botanical Orchid Garden and the orchids found throughout the hotel grounds. When our hotel managerposted pictures takenon his cell phone onFacebookwe knewwe had to share them here with you.

Due to the area in and around Blue River Resort & Hot Springs, the variety of orchids is astounding. Only the north side of Rincon de la Vieja,inside and outside the national parkhas a Caribbean climatewith a lush cool rain forest. Also only this side of the parkhasnatural hot springs and is the source of many rivers that are blue, black and clear in color. Add in the active volcanic activity andall the altitudesand it adds uptoa multitude of environments – soil types, humidity, temperatures – resulting in unique plant growth and animal habitats. I’m sorry, but I, as author, I do not have special knowledge or evenknow the names of the many of the orchid varietals in these pictures. However, a great source of orchid species can be found on epidendra, the Botanical Databases of JardínBotánicoLankesterAt The University Of Costa Rica.

Orchids in Costa Rica
There are about 1300 to 1500 species of orchids are found in Costa Rica, many with amazing colors, forms and scents. Most are native to South America and Southeast Asia.Usually the flowers begin to bloom during the wet / rainy seasons. In many areas the rainy season begins in May, but rainy seasons vary by location and there can be more than one rainy season during the year. The seasons on the north side of the Rincon de la Vieja more closely align with the Caribbean seasons. Pictures of the orchids here were taken about July 26, 2021. Though tourist soften seek out well known botanical gardens in Costa Rica for their orchid garden, orchids are also found decorating streets, city parks and homes

Interesting Orchid Trivia

1. Orchids are epiphytes and that means that in the wild most orchids grow on the surface trees, not soil, with roots attached to the bark of tree branches or on rocks, with roots working their way into crevices.When transplanting to a pot, this means the orchid potting mix needs to contain wood chips or bark to make them happy.
2. Some orchid owners use ice cube at the base of the plant to avoid over-watering which releases the water slow enough for the plant’s roots to absorb the hydration. However, experts warn against this practice and one of the reasons is, as a tropical plant, orchids love warmth—and ice cubes are cold.
3. Orchids like tight spaces. Don’t repot yours until its roots have grown through the holes on the pot and are dangling in air. (One exception to this rule is if you buy an orchid that is potted in moss. In that case, repot it immediately in a proper orchid potting mix.)
4. An orchid’s flowers can last for many months. Its best to water an orchid in the morning, using luke warm or room temperature water with no additives, like salt or chlorine. Water under the leaves. Look at the root system to figure out how often to water. It should be dry before watering.
5. There are more than 25,000 different species of orchids.
6. In the 1800s orchid specimens began being brought back to Europe and the U.S. from tropical climates. In Holland something similar tulip mania swept the country, called Orchidelirium. In fact, collectors paid thousands of dollars for a single orchid plant. It prompted Victorian-era plant collectors to buy rare orchids for high prices at auctions. Until 1851, when the “The Orchid Grower’s Manual” was published, very little was known about propagating orchids or their care.

Botanical Orchid Garden at Blue River Resort & Hot Springs
Visiting the Botanical Gardens at Blue River Resort & Hot Springs will be a highlight of your vacation. It was created some 15 years ago and requires a lot of our love and attention. We hope these pictures of our orchids inspire you.The Orchid Garden can be found here but orchids are also found throughout the grounds of the resort.