Annual orchids show brings vivid color to Chicago winter

A soft layer of white snow blankets the grounds of the Chicago Botanic Garden. The air is chilly, the sky gray. Inside, however, the air is warm and lights illuminate more than 10,000 vividly colored orchids. Staff members move in and out of greenhouses, preparing to open the garden's 12th annual Orchid Show on Saturday. This year’s theme is “Feelin’ Groovy” with installations calling back to the 1970s, including a yellow Volkswagen Beetle filled with orchids. The exhibits horticulturist says the orchid family is one of the largest in the plant world and some of the species in the show are rare.