Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Foundation and Moribana Garden Club Present

An Orchid Blooms

On Sunday, October 15, 2017, the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum partnered with Chadwick & Son Orchids of Richmond, Virginia, to release a special hybrid orchid named to honor First Lady Edith Bolling Wilson.

After learning of First Lady’s love of orchids, Art Chadwick approached the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum about naming a new orchid to honor Mrs. Wilson. Art has the distinction of naming Cattleya hybrids after the wives of the last five U.S. Presidents. Laeliocattleya Edith Bolling Wilson will be the first orchid named after a past First Lady. The orchid was officially registered by the Royal Horticultural Society in London (the International Registration Authority for Orchid Hybrids) on Dec. 9, 2016.

The event was held at Loretto, the historic home of Dr. and Mrs. Paul Morin, and featured a display of Cattleya Orchids, Mrs. Wilson’s Namesake Flowers; an exhibition of Beth Pendleton's watercolor paintings of historic Wytheville homes; hors d’oeuvres, a punch and bourbon bar; and special guests President and Mrs. Wilson portrayed by Jim Gearhart and Betsy Ely.

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