Fascinating orchids take over Tallinn Botanic Garden

From 28 February to 9 March, the Tallinn Botanic Garden will host a long-standing orchid exhibition, where rare species from the wild can be seen side by side with varieties that have been cultivated by humans. You can buy flowering orchids at the exhibition.

"This time we have prepared an orchid show with a strong Southeast Asian influence,” said Jaan Mettik, Head of the Department of Tropical and Subtropical Plants. "Our historic collection of cymbidiums has a surprisingly large bloom this year, we have a large number of water lilies on display, and the moth orchids that have become quite commonplace for us also come from tropical Asia. Also worthy of note are the rarely seen jewel orchids, which catch the eye not with their flowers but with their sparkling, patterned leaves."

Although the exhibition is full of "Asians", it has also not forgotten the "Americans". A particular fascination is Dracula gorgona of the South American cloud forests, named after the title character in Irish author Bram Stoker's horror novel Dracula.

At the exhibition, you can get advice on growing orchids at home from experienced professionals. During the orchid show, from 28 February to 9 March, you can put forward any questions about growing orchids via email to [email protected]. Questions are answered by the gardeners and head gardeners of the Tallinn Botanic Garden.

As every year, you can also buy plants during the orchid show. Riina Hermlin, founder of Rikets Flowers, and her team have assembled an exceptional selection of orchids from ten nurseries specialising in German and Dutch orchids. Over 500 orchid varieties and species are available, some of which have never been sold in Estonia before.

From 6 to 9 March, you will once again have an exceptional opportunity to buy special plants from Currlin Orchideen, a German orchid grower who has come to Estonia especially for the orchid show.

Tallinn Botanic Garden's orchid collection has a fascinating history. The orchid collection started thanks to Oskar Savik, an Australian orchid grower of Estonian descent, who donated the best selection of his orchids to the Botanic Garden in the early 1960s. Today, many rare natural orchids from around the world have been added to the historic collection of cymbidiums. 

The Tallinn Botanic Garden’s Palm House is open during the winter season from 11:00-16:00, except for Wednesdays, when it is open from 11:00-19:00. Due to the construction works taking place in the car park, it is advisable to arrive by public transport or taxi.

Founded in 1961, the Tallinn Botanic Garden is a research, educational and cultural institution that focuses on the protection and introduction of plants. It is situated on a 40-hectare area next to the Pirita River Valley. In total, around 8500 plant species grow here in open air and in greenhouses. The mission of the Tallinn Botanic Garden is to preserve, develop and introduce rich plant collections and herbaria and carry out research and nature education work to preserve and increase biodiversity. Tallinn Botanic Garden aims to be an advocate for a modern, environmentally-conscious mindset and the promotion of garden and landscape design.