“I’m always struck by how botanical gardens are never just about plants. And our Jungle Garden certainly tells the story, the vision and the legacy of which we are all part,” said Rochelle Wolberg, executive director of McKee Botanical Garden at this year’s annual Gatekeepers of the Garden Celebration.
The invited guests had enjoyed cocktails outdoors in the Spanish Kitchen before moving inside into the historic Hall of Giants, which had been beautifully decorated with spectacular orchids and bromeliad Christmas trees.
Wolberg provided an update on the prior year’s accomplishments, such as drawing more than 53,000 visitors over the three months the colorful LEGO exhibition was on display in the spring. She said 3,300 children took part in early childhood school and family programs, and some 20,000 children and youth visited or were engaged in one way or another.
Additionally, educators and volunteer docents facilitated 1,300 group tours, McKee held 1,000 lectures and workshops, some on site and some within the community, and 118,000 visitors were welcomed overall to the garden.
Wolberg noted that they expanded their Jungle Lights Holiday Experience with additional nights and trails, incorporating historical McKee Jungle Gardens’ plants and orchids amidst the sights and sounds of Amazonian birds and animals.
“But even more meaningfully, on Dec. 29, McKee launches our Centennial Celebration for our living collections. It’s a milestone year for us, and you as Gatekeepers are the guardians of that legacy. The Centennial is not a look back; it’s a testament to the vision and sheer determination of those who believed that McKee was worth saving. And so we thank all of you for that,” said Wolberg.
Regarding the Centennial, she noted that McKee, once celebrated as a botanical paradise, is known as the first and oldest visitor attraction on the Treasure Coast. Wolberg referenced various newspaper articles from the 1940s, where the McKee orchid collection was prominently featured.
“We would be remiss if we did not connect the transformation of our collection with Dr. David Fairburn,” said Wolberg, referring to the venerated orchidologist from the Missouri Botanical Garden.
He had greenhouses filled with Cattleya Giga orchids and, in keeping with the theme of the evening, they also paid homage to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who frequently depicted their magnificent bloom in her paintings.
“We have this genus in the garden, and for over a decade, the Cattleya Giga was the queen of the Jungle Garden. Dr. Fairburn registered about eight of the McKee Jungle Garden orchids in the late ’60s and ’70s with the Royal Horticulture Society, who still has the records and we still have images,” said Wolberg.
Thrilled to connect the past to the present, she had photos of Fairburn repotting the orchids as well as one of their display gardeners, Jill Perlman, naturalizing an orchid into its new habitat at the Fern Lake.
“We have about 1,700 orchids that currently reside at the garden, 700 of which are display orchids, meaning that they are mounted on some of our signature oaks or potted, and we bring them out when they are in full bloom,” said Wolberg.
“So we celebrate our orchid collection this evening. Our mission is to enhance and nurture our tropical jungle garden for the education, enjoyment and enrichment of all. And we would not be able to do that without your support, through which everything is possible,” said Wolberg, before introducing Andreas Daehnick director of Horticulture & Research.
Daehnick came on board in 1999, when the garden was being rebuilt, and spoke in more detail about how each orchid requires slightly different care.
“Our goal is actually to try to minimize that to get them to a similar system, so we don’t have to do something different for all 1,700 orchids,” he explained.
He said the lifespan of an orchid should be indefinite and, if conditions are correct, they should be able to keep going forever, although that doesn’t always happen.
Daehnick noted that the garden has a vast array of orchids, including the 300 or so native orchids as part of the Fairchild Million Orchid Project, exotic or hybrid orchids, terrestrial orchids, some 700 potted display orchids that are moved about as they bloom out, and then still others that are mounted in the trees that they refer to as jungle orchids.
“Our goal has always been to create colonies so there wouldn’t be just one orchid of one kind everywhere,” said Daehnick, before going into detail about the numerous varieties, including his favorites.
“I’m just going to end up with … it’s a jungle out there. If you don’t go visit, and you don’t see it, you’re going to miss a lot.”
For more information, visit McKeeGarden.org.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
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