The Orchids at Parc Floral, Paris

[My Green Pets]

I live near this park and the outdoor gardens are gorgeous but their indoor gardens are what interest me...specifically the tropical room!





I took a few pics on my last visit. I've always dreamed of having a conservatory like this of my own, but since I can't (at least at present), I'm 'adopting' this one.

So recently they have added some big pieces of dead wood and literally 'stuck' some orchids on them. Mostly hybrid phals and several vanda alliance, with some sympodial plants here and there.

I find mounted plants absolutely fascinating--specifically their roots--so this gives me a great opportunity to observe them.







Just look at the roots on this one!


So visiting these guys, I thought they looked kind of shabby given the seemingly great conditions. None were in flower, and very few had more than two or three leaves. I wonder if the caretakers are neglecting the fertilizer, or if they are receiving too much light, too little water...?

I'm just wondering what could be done to help the plants look better. Healthier plants means flowers, which means more visitors, which is good for the park, right?

Like I said, I have nothing to do with the place (although I would like to), I just visit from time to time and enjoy. I talked to a gardener and he said it's not easy to work there, you have to apply through the city, take exams, etc. But Rome wasn't built in a day, and maybe I could work at a place like this in the future...

[MrsSky]

I wish I could spend the afternoon there-thanks for posting the pics.
I think that the plants look healthy-if they haven't been mounted very long maybe they are acclimating or sulking (the new root growth looks like they are happy though).

[RosieC]

Cool!