A kaleidoscopic display of blooms greets visitors at the Earl Warren Show Grounds, which has been transformed into a lush tropical landscape. There are orchids of every kind, color, and size—all under one roof for the 77th Santa Barbara International Orchid Show.
The show has been around for a while.
"We were running through the wartime!" said Lauris Rose.
She knows orchids. She grows a lot of them at her nursery Cal Orchid and is also the board president of the orchid show.
"The climate is what drew people who grew cymbidium to this area. The mountains and the ocean. They're so close. They're constantly bathed in the Pacific breezes," explained Rose.
She’s one of the many growers, artisans, and enthusiasts with a display a the show.
"I love this thing. It gives me goosebumps," said Rose. "You walk inside of those greenhouses and you smell that air. Oh, man, I'd miss that."
According to Rose, orchids don't deserve their reputation of being difficult to cultivate.
"Yeah, that's the O word," she said. "The minute you say 'orchid,' they go, 'Oh, step away. Hard to grow.' It's not true."
"This Dendrobium here grows outdoors, just like a weed," said Rose. "These cymbidium? It's easy! They outgrow the pots and then you're overwhelmed, but only because they've gotten so big!"
"And the Laelia anceps—those are epiphytes. They grow on trees, not parasites. They're epiphytes. They only use the tree for support," she said.
"The big trick with orchids is location. If you put it in the right spot, it's very easy. A modicum of water. Fertilizer helps because we all like to eat and so do the plants. Don't try to grow them in dirt. They grow on a tree. Their roots want to have some air exposure," Rose said.
"It's a neat hobby because it lets you learn about something and then with a slight amount of involvement, you succeed. If you're dialed into your plant with a slight amount of involvement, the payoff is big and then you get to brag about how you grow orchids," said Rose.
Show attendees are enthusiastic as they walk around taking photos and choosing orchids of their own to take home and try to keep alive.
"I have a love of orchids," one show-goer said. "They're so weird, but they're beautiful! It's really rewarding when one blooms because you're like, 'I did it!'"
Said another attendee, "I was quite amazed how many different varieties there are. It's quite astonishing. And especially this many I've never even seen before. I came down out of curiosity rather than being like an orchid geek."
"There's so many different types, but each one looks individually different and has almost a personality. They're beautiful," said another.
The Santa Barbara International Orchid Show runs through Sunday, March 9.
