Beautiful Mother's Day Wishes from your friends at Ascending Butterfly! #MothersDay #MothersDay2023

Happy Mother's Day Butterflies!

Happy Mother's Day Butterfly, whether you are:

🦋 A Mother of one or many!

🦋 A mother who has lost her children.

🦋 An adoptive mom who brought a child who needed love into her home!

🦋 A grandmother

🦋 A great-grandmother

🦋 A pet mom!

🦋 A plant Mom!

🦋 Someone who wants to be a mom.

🦋A Godmother!

🦋An Aunt who is raising a niece or nephew

MY TAKE:  

Me and mom weren't in the mood for crowds this year so I took her to dinner on Friday and plan to cook today, and I also surprised her with a card from Fresh Cut Paper called 'Pink Tulips' I love how they look like an actual bouquet of flowers, her last name 'rosado' translates to pink in English. The bouquet comes with a note card, but inside the notecard I put in an Asian Money Envelope for this year - the year of the rabbit - because my mom was born in the year of the rabbit and in the money envelope I put money in the exact amount of the years I have walked this earth - I knew that would make her smile. She actually made me laugh by saying she can't wait until I turn $100! I ordered her favorite cake but sadly it won't be here on time.

Here is the card:

(And NO dolls this is not sponsored, they have no idea I am featuring them today!) 

I am sending one out to my Lawyer soon as a thank you for her efforts in my case in a different style!

I love this idea so much! They truly make thoughtful gifts and the notecard is perfect for writing your sentiments and also slipping in a gift card should you choose to add something additional. And they only take four forever stamps so you don't have to run to the post office provided you have stamps on hand of course!

I always try to put together thoughtful and fun ways to make my mom feel celebrated and appreciated.

Readers Sound Off: How are you spending Mother's Day this year?

 Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure. 

If you like this article treat me to a coffee, a caffeinated writer is a happy writer! 

paypal.me/TracyIglesias

https://cash.app/$ascendingbutterfly

Venmo: Ascending1

A media preview day like no other! The Orchid Show: Natural Heritage to begin this Saturday at The New York Botanical Garden #LilyKwongNYBG

Caption: Video highlights of 'The Orchid Show: Natural Heritage'

I spent my Valentine's Day immersing myself in an exotic Chinese mountain landscape lost in an oasis of Orchids!

There are two sure sings of spring for me as a New Yorker - the Mr. Softee truck (which in all fairness I haven't heard yet) and my personal favorite, the annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden. An annual event I have attended with family well before I started blogging about it!

The New York Botanical Garden Orchid show is now in its 20th year! This year the show reflects the vision of landscape artist and designer Lily Kwong. The Orchid Show begins this Saturday, February 18 and will run through April 23rd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caption: Opening remarks from the Media Preview of the 2023 Orchid Show

Jennifer Bernstein, Chief Executive Officer and The William Steere Sr. President of The New York Botanical Garden opened the Media Preview. When she introduced us to Lily Kwong whose work she described as being at "the junction of horticulture, urban design, contemporary art, climate awareness, urban agriculture, and wellness." who reconnects "people to nature through transformative landscape projects and site specific botanical art installations. Her work here is both meditative and captivating."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caption: Designer Lily Kwong, 'The Orchid Show: Natural Heritage' - Ms. Kwong's off the shoulder pant suit was designed by her cousin Joseph Altuzarra.

 

Stop for a moment to press on this photo and make it bigger! For anyone who knows how hard it is to capture a speaker and get that 'perfect shot' this one is for you! Her hand is on her heart in this photo and I feel it captures her authenticity so perfectly!

Ms. Kwong studied Landscape Design at New York Botanical Garden in 2017 and she is both the first woman and first person of color invited to to be a guest designer for The Orchid Show. (and I personally want to see MORE of this happen!) Her designer touch has also been seen in botanical installations at The Highline in New York City, Faena Arts in Miami, Grand Central Terminal in New York City, and Taipei Night Market.

 

 

Caption: The Palm Fountain at The New York Botanical Garden transformed for "The Orchid Show: Natural Heritage" designed by Lily Kwong

Ms. Kwong was inspired by four scrolls given to her family by her grandparents who were born in Shanghai, those scrolls with their depictions of mountainous landscapes helped to foster her imagination and were the inspiration for her design of this year's Orchid Show. She said of the scrolls:

"When you are a second-generation immigrant, that's sometimes how the proverbial homeland can feel, like a fantasy you're attracted to but always feels an arm's length away."

~Lily Kwong

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caption: While Marc Hachadourian, Director of Glasshouse Collections waits for the media to catch up during the tour inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, I captured this random shot of designer Lily Kwong and I couldn't help but include it!  

The show draws from traditional Chinese landscape design and garden design principles. Composer Gary Gunn adds to the immersive experience with music and sounds created from field recordings from the countries in which these orchids are endemic.

 

 

One of the highlights of the exhibition is the meditative walkway that features medicinal and rare orchids that have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. And a very peaceful waterfall feature adds to the moment of zen that awaits.

"The Orchid Grows Where Others Cannot"

~Confucius 

My Take:

 

I loved the exhibit. I can't help but share a collective 'aw' moment. Ms. Kwong dedicated the show to her 92-year-old grandmother, Jeanette Wei, whose given name ironically means "Healthy Orchid" and her great-grandfather was an herbalist who opened up the trade of Chinese Herbs outside of China.

It was great to know the very personal connections that resonated so deeply with her and influenced her design style.

I am also thrilled to report the return of Orchid Evenings at The New York Botanical Garden starting Saturday March 18th. There are only six evenings scheduled: 3/18, 3/25, 4/1, 4/8, 4/15 & 4/22. From 7-10. Entry times are at 7, 7:30 and 8 pm. Non-member adults of 21+ is priced at $39 and Member/Patron is priced at $29. Remember Orchid Nights are for adults 21 years of age and older. Advance purchase recommended.

This would be an amazing date night, and for my fellow bloggers/influencers, a great backdrop to take photos!

This is a show you won't want to miss!

 

Readers Sound Off: 

 

I love that artwork in her home passed down from her grandparents led to such an amazing creative vision. Is there a special piece of artwork from your childhood that has inspired your creativity as an adult?

 ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure: No monetary compensation has been received. Media access was granted to the Media Preview Day. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure. 

If you like this article treat me to a coffee, a caffeinated writer is a happy writer! 

paypal.me/TracyIglesias 

https://cash.app/$ascendingbutterfly

 Venmo: Ascending1

(Not So) #Wordless Wednesday: YOU are cordially invited to a super lit Virtual "Happy Hour" hosted by @NYBG #OrchidNYBG #Photo and #Video

NOT SPONSORED!

Faceted Mirrored Vanda Flower Fountain - New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show 2020

Are you feeling a bit stir crazy?

Would an in-depth guided virtual tour of The Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham's Kaleidoscope put a little 'spring' in your spring?

I got the chance to attend the Media Preview Day of New York Botanical Gardens 2020 Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham's Kaleidoscope. I normally host a giveaway for our readers to have a chance to experience the exhibit via Orchid Evenings. But with the self quarantine and social distancing that is being enforced right now sadly NYBG is temporarily closed, but they are hosting an amazing virtual Happy Hour which I very much plan to attend and hope you can too!

Experience this year's exhibition without leaving home, RSVP for Orchid Evenings Highlights: Happy Hour at Home here: https://www.facebook.com/events/147013020084720/

It will be held on Thursday, April 9th between 5PM -6PM RSVP RIGHT NOW!!!

Pour your own cocktail and get ready to not only enjoy Orchids, but to get off your couch and turn your favorite room in your house into a dance floor. Dancer/Choreographer Princess Lockerooo, accessorize with simple DIY floral decorations and Bronx Night Market will share Happy Hour Recipes and Marc Hachadourian, NYBG's Senior Curator of Orchids will share about the mysterious night lives of many orchid species.

Even though I had the chance to attend the Media Preview Day, I will also attend the virtual happy hour tomorrow and I hope my butterflies will too.

Here is a quick sneak peek (Photos and Videos):

Above: Jeff Leatham, Floral Designer, has worked with celebrities such as Oprah, Cher, and the Kardashians. His work is currently featured in the New York Botanical Garden's "The Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham's Kaleidoscope. Welcome Remarks from Jeff during the Media Preview Day.

I nabbed video of his closing remarks:

Above: So much love, work and man hours goes into The Orchid Show at New York Botanical Garden each year, Jeff hit the nail on the head when he said how truly amazing it is that this space is so utterly transformed from year to year into something new and entirely unforgettable. I am lucky enough to live near The New York Botanical Garden and have been visiting since I was a child. The creativity of the team and the visiting artists always amazes and inspires me.

Above: Jeff was posing for a different Photographer in this shot. You guys know how much I love nabbing shots that are not what I feel 'totally posed and perfect', I try to capture a moment a feeling, and I also love that it looks like the Orchids are pointing straight to his heart as he put so much love into this exhibit!

Above: This Vanda Orchid is super rare! You can press on this or any photo to see it in full size, sometimes my blog template tends to compress certain photos.

Above: This Moth Orchid Photo was actually taken at a totally different angle. I took some time to play with this one in Corel Paintshop Pro X9 as I loved the light and airy springtime color combo! (Currently shooting with Nikon!)

Above: Remember the Video I posted of The Three Graces Fountain inside The Enid A Haupt Conservatory at New York Botanical Garden on Instagram? (Refresh your memory: https://www.instagram.com/p/BuJumgmA8sK/) THIS is that same area made over for the new exhibit! Press this one to make it bigger! (and if you are not already, please follow Ascending Butterfly via Instagram, our handle is @Ascending1)

Above: You may remember a similar photo to this one (and the one above) contained in a brief video I posted on Instagram shortly after the media preview day here: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8gWH0nAQrs/

Isn't this passageway between exhibits awesome? It is an entire mood with its modern industrial vibe! 

I made a brief walking through the Kaleidoscopic Tunnel of Lights video below (pardon the ambient noise of people talking, I couldn't edit it out, so I sped it up a bit and added some background music):

Above: LED Lights transform this tunnel into a moving immersive experience!

MY TAKE:

As usual I took WAY more pictures than I could ever have time to Edit. I will definitely feature more soon.

I am saddened by the enforced quarantine keeping everyone from being able to immerse themselves in this amazing exhibit and experience Jeff Leatham's vision and creativity, but very happy about the Virtual Happy Hour!

I am hoping this Virtual Happy Hour will bring so many orchid and nature lovers together at the same time to celebrate the gifts that mother nature shares with us!

I love that NYBG is bringing the Orchid Evening Experience to everyone.

So this year I won't be able to host my annual giveaway of passes to the show, but now more readers who live in other states can get a chance to experience this for themselves.

Readers: If you are planning to RSVP please remember to use the link above to the RSVP Page, but I would love it if you took a moment to post here that you are attending!

Remember Butterflies: Please stay safe and stay home! 

And a special Thank You to all frontline, healthcare, law enforcement, firemen, truckers, delivery men and women who are essential personnel and are out there on the frontline every day!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post, all opinions are 100% my own! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway / Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure. Things that lure this butterfly out of her cocoon: Technology, Travel, Fashion, Beauty, Spirits (Sparkling, Champagne, Prosecco, Sake, Bourbon, Craft Brews), Foodie Fare - really I'm such a *simple girl*.

@NYBG Celebrates Lilac Weekend and Plein-Air Invitational May 4-5 and this butterfly will definitely be there! #plantlove

New York Botanical Garden Celebrates Nature’s Love Letter to Spring with Lilac Weekend and Plein-Air Invitational

With its floral clusters, sweet fragrance, and heart-shaped leaves, the lilac is nature’s love letter to spring. The Burn Family Lilac Collection at New York Botanical Garden takes the spotlight as we celebrate this American garden favorite in all of its glorious forms, colors, and aromas (both spicy and sweet!) with plein-air painting, music, guided tours, and talks. 

Lilac Weekend and Plein-Air Invitational programming includes:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fourth Annual Plein-Air Invitational Saturday, May 4 from 11 a.m.–4 p.m., various NYBG grounds locations Every year, to help mark the Garden’s rites of spring, distinguished plein-air artists from throughout the Northeast gather across the grounds in a public display of painterly talent and nature appreciation. Led by plein-air master James Gurney, participating artists work in various media while engaging with Garden visitors. Also joining will be artists affiliated with the NYC chapter of Urban Sketchers, an international nonprofit dedicated to fostering a global community of artists who practice on-location drawing. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Plein-Air Drop-In and Draw Saturday and Sunday, May 4 - 5, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., various NYBG grounds locations Draw inspiration from the Garden as a plein-air artist would. Drop in, grab a stool and materials and create an image of the Garden to take home. Instructors offer guided tips every half hour. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Lilac Garden Tours with Q&A Saturday and Sunday, May 4 -5 at 11 a.m., 12, 1, 2, & 3 p.m., at the Lilac Collection Deanna Curtis, NYBG’s Curator of Woody Plants, will be on hand to share her expertise on this historic collection. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Live Music among the Lilacs Sunday, May 5 at 1, 2, & 3 p.m., at the Lilac Collection String Quartet by so&so (symphony orchestra and select others) is a curating collective whose symphony-centric performances feature young professional, top-caliber musicians from all over the world. For its debut season, NY-based so&so has partnered with several organizations, including The New York Botanical Garden, to present a variety of projects such as symphony performances, opera and original ballet. 

For a complete schedule of events, visit https://www.nybg.org/event/lilac-weekend/

WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, May 4 - 5, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. 

WHERE: The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York

My Take:

I am looking forward to visiting New York Botanical Garden for Lilac Weekend, this is definitely a wonderful idea as an early Mother's Day Gift for mom, make a day of it!

READERS: Are you finally seeing signs of Spring? What is your favorite flower?

·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post and all opinions are 100% my own!  The love however is genuine, NYBG is one of my favorite places in New York City! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.

Not so #WordlessWednesday - What are the signs of Spring in New York City? The Ice Cream Truck and the @NYBG Orchid Show! Sponsored by @Citi and supported by @stb_sg #plantlove

I was beginning to think the Groundhog lied and that Spring would never visit New York City, I mean we recently had SNOW!

This year is my 10 year blogaversary and my birthday is coming up in April - I am so revved up for Spring and warmer weather!

Signs of Spring are finally beginning to show here in New York City. Two solid signs of Spring in my neck of the woods are the sounds of the ice cream truck and the annual Orchid Show at New York Botanical Garden.

It's a show I try hard not to miss and this year the theme is "Singapore". This is the 17th year of The New York Botanical Garden's popular orchid exhibition. It was developed in partnership with Gardens by the Bay and Singapore Botanic Gardens. Supported by the Singapore Tourism Board.

Since I am so lucky to have The New York Botanical Gardens so close to where I live, it was much like taking a trip to Singapore without the expensive airplane tickets!

Let me take you through the highlights of the Media/Press Preview Day:

Above: Members of the Press were greeted with the most delicious Breakfast Empanadas from Empanology. I love Breakfast and I love Empanadas, this combo is definitely working for me! This nod to Puerto Rican Culture right here in the Boogie Down Bronx couldn't have made me more proud.

Above: Couldn't resist nabbing this earthy logo shot - All meat and poultry used is sourced through local farmers raising hormone and antibiotic-free animals, serving locally-sourced product and pasture-raised dairy. The New York Botanical Garden has been inviting so many interesting food vendors to their events and I am so glad that they put Empanology on my radar, I definitely have to visit them at their 2407 Third Avenue Bronx, NY location soon! 

Above: Yes, I took TWO! (In all fairness, it was one of each variety, I had to try them both out of course, it's my job as press!) They both taste as good as they look too! YUMMY! It definitely reminded me of the empanadas we would buy before hitting the beaches in Puerto Rico. This media day literally took me to two places - Puerto Rico with these empanadas and Singapore with the amazing exhibit. This is totally activating my wanderlust!

Above: The Uptown Vegan was also on deck with sweets and treats and I am a bit pleased with how this shot captures the signage against the snowy ground with the Enid Haupt Conservatory in the background! I am also experimenting with my watermark (can you see it?)

Above: The iconic Supertrees of Gardens by the Bay recreated at The New York Botanical Gardens, you know Ascending Butterfly is always looking up, instead of a boring shot from faraway just so you can see how tall it is, I wanted to shoot it from a lower perspective looking up.

Above: The Famed Arches of Singapore Botanic Gardens' National Orchid Garden are replicated to perfection in the Enid Haupt Conservatory of The New York Botanical Gardens

Above: At the Media preview we got to meet 'Awkwafina' -Vanda Awkwafina that is! A Vanda hybrid of Susan Best x Crownfox Black Forest.

"We think Awkwafina is the perfect choice because of her accomplishments in music and film as well as her prominence as a native New Yorker." ~ Marc Hachadourian, NYBG's Director of Glasshouse Horticulture and Senior Curator of Orchids

I want a flower named after me too! Come on, wouldn't an Ascending Butterfly Flower be perfect for The New York Botanical Garden?

Above: I wish my template allowed this one to be bigger, please press this photo to see it full size, the details here and drops of dew falling off the flowers and frozen in time makes this one of my favorite flower photos captured by me! And this is a compressed version of it because my blog template doesn't allow me to post RAW photo files, in RAW format this is even more stunning.

Above: Look a rare butterfly sighting! LOL You guys know I am much more comfortable behind the camera and way less comfortable in front of it, but with a backdrop like this I literally couldn't resist. (Just sad the photographer didn't nab a full length and get my cute new boots!) Spot my logo watermark?

MY TAKE:

The show runs from February 23rd through April 28, 2019 and is part of NYBG's year-long theme #plantlove featuring exhibitions, programs, and projects exploring the essential connections between plants, people and the environment.

It had actually recently snowed so my plans to wear a cute spring dress were dashed by the need to keep warm - hopefully I can hit one of the Orchid Evenings when the weather gets better and get a more dressy shot of myself with the orchids as a backdrop to all my fabulosity! :)

And no, I haven't forgotten about you butterflies. I am working on a very epic project still in stealth mode which is why this post isn't accompanied by my usual Orchid Evenings tickets giveaway, stay tuned I hope to be able to offer a giveaway before the end of this amazing exhibition, I just need some time to come up for air on what I am working on right now. Which is why I wanted to get this post up so you would add the show to your list of fun spring things to do in the city!

I take inspired photos from this show every year, and it gives me the chance to practice my photography which got re-ignited after the devastating fire I suffered last year where I lost the majority of my photos! I have to start my Photo Memories all over again, now with a much greater perspective on exactly how valuable my visual memories really are.

I took 162 photos in total, editing all that and optimizing them for my template will take awhile, so you will definitely see more floral wordless wednesdays and I will try to get as many as possible on our Instagram Feed too! If you look on my Instagram, there is a very zen video of the Three Graces Fountain inside of the Enid Haupt Conservatory at The New York Botanical Garden HERE!

Now I need to follow this with a trip to both Puerto Rico and Singapore - Tourism Boards are you reading this? :)

READERS: What are the signs of spring where you are?

·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post, is an event recap, and all opinions are 100% my own!  The love however is genuine! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.

Win a pair of tickets to @NYBG 's The Orchid Show: Orchid Evenings #OrchidNYBG and #SpringIntoPhotography with @Ascending1 #PhotographyChallenge

 New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show 2018

Old Man Winter and that groundhog seem to want to  keep New York City in their Vice Grip of cold weather and this butterfly who is a Spring Baby (my birthday is coming up in April) yearns for signs of Spring and sunshine.

I found some amazing signs of Spring at the Media Preview of The Orchid Show at NY Botanical Gardens this week and I can't wait to share!

Daniel Ost, Floral Artist

The annual Orchid Show, now in its 16th year, showcases thousands of dramatically displayed Orchids in the NY Botanical Garden Enid A. Haupt Conservatory featuring a series of installations designed by one of the world's leading floral artists, Daniel Ost.  Ost uses flowers as a means of expression and his large-scale artworks were tailored to compliment the landmark Victorian Styled Conservatory and it's an explosion of texture, form and colors!

If you read my last post you know I made the switch from shooting with Canon to shooting with Nikon and that March is "Spring Into Photography" month on Ascending Butterfly to celebrate all things Photography. At this point in my journalism career I am just as much a Photographer as I am a Writer and last year's PDN Photo Plus Expo really got me fired up about upping my photography skills. This event was the inaugural run with my new Nikon and I am definitely happy I made the switch.

Orchid Flower Wall Installation at New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show 2018

So to celebrate you will see tons of activity on my Instagram so be sure you are following me there. I really want to grow my Instagram a bit more this year as it was one of the last social channels I adopted. All my photos on Instagram this month will be hashtagged: #SpringIntoPhotography and #AscendingButterfly - if you would like to join us add those hashtags to your photos.

There will be fun giveaways in honor of Spring into Photography month, and this one is the first one. Whether it's a Digital Camera or your Smartphone, a good photo is about that combo of hardware and a great subject, and I can't think of a better backdrop for a fun photo challenge.

"Orchid Evenings" from 6:30 - 9:30, combines Music by DJ X-RAY, Cocktails (check out the Dancing Lady Signature Cocktail by Edible Bronx's Head Mixologist), Live Performers and the sublime beauty of the delicate orchids that are allowing visitors to make unique connections on themed 'adult only' evenings that allow for a romantic date night, or even a way for singles to connect and meet. Orchid Evenings are being held Saturdays, March 17, 24, 31, and April 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 & 21 - you are admitted based on the time on your ticket, Entry Times are at 6:30, 7:00 & 7:30 p.m.

$28 for Members and $38 per ticket for non-members, the ticket includes one complimentary beer, wine or cocktail of your choice. Head to the show before your time and hit the gift shop or dine at The Pine Tree Cafe where you can enjoy a special event menu.

If you are into the hashtag trend of taking photos and selfies in front of interesting backdrops like flower walls you are going to LOVE this exhibit, so dress up a bit!

Here's My #FlowerWall #ThinkSpring moment:

A quick video about the exhibit:

WIN IT: 

Ascending Butterfly and The New York Botanical Garden want to help melt away those winter blues and put some 'Spring' back in your step! Enter to win a pair of passes to Orchid Evenings at The Orchid Show at New York Botanical Garden! This Giveaway and ends SOON so you will have a better shot at picking the dates you want to go! Prize does NOT include airfare, hotel or transportation and is based on availability.

Use the rafflecopter widget below to place your entries! (If reading this put the widget to sleep you may need to refresh the page again to get the widget to show up for you so you can place your entries.) Remember Orchid Evenings are on Saturday Night's Only, and you must be 21 years of age or older to claim your passes as there are cocktails being served, this is an ADULT ONLY giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway MY TAKE:

The New York Botanical Garden is one of my favorite 'Urban Oasis' places in Bronx, New York. Being there just adds instant zen to my day. I always love attending the Orchid Show annually, it truly gets me looking forward to all things Spring.

Whether you are single and ready to mingle or lost in love, The Orchid Show has a little something for everyone!

Tip for my "Guy Butterflies": If you are planning to get engaged, this is the perfect backdrop for popping the question!

I took almost 300 photos, so check out Ascending Butterfly's Insta and Pinterest during the month of March for Additional Photos, I knew I couldn't get them all into one post.

Have you ever cultivated an orchid? What is your favorite flower?

(Remember you get extra credit in the giveaway for answering this question as a comment below!)

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure: No monetary compensation has been received to post our recap of the show or host this giveaway, and all opinions are 100% my own!  We were provided media access to the show for editorial consideration. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.