by Victoria Bradley, At Home with Jennifer Magazine

Western Pennsylvania Boasts a Wealth of the World’s Most Wonderful Flower–the One We’re All Wild About.

One of the region’s most exotic gardens is on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. Twenty thousand orchids—the blossom that has launched fanaticism, fury, films, and fiery love affairs—thrive at The Drew Mathieson Center at Manchester Bidwell Corporation. The 40,000 square-foot greenhouse is one of the largest wholesale suppliers of orchids in the region. Chances are, if you have a Phalaenopsis growing in your home, its seeds were planted there.

They are the smallest seeds (35 millionths of an ounce) in the world, yet orchids are the most prolific in the flowering plant family, with more than 25,000 species. They are found on every continent except for Antarctica. They can grow without soil, in broken brick even. Yet, those who care for them do so obsessively.

For a PDF of the full At Home with Jennifer article:
orchid.pdf