McKee Botanical Garden was in full bloom during the second annual Rare and Exotic Orchid Exhibition and Sale, held in partnership with the Vero Beach Orchid Society. The event was created last year to celebrate the exotic and native orchids that are a vital part of McKee’s heritage. The two-day event drew thousands of visitors, all eager to purchase some of the rare beauties, which were offered in a spectacular variety of colors, sizes and shapes. There were also several lectures and workshops by orchid experts where visitors could learn how best to take care of their purchases. McKee and Orchid Society members were given a one-hour head start but the large assortment of acclaimed orchid growers and craft artisans that lined the wide Royal Palm Grove ensured that there were plenty of options for everyone. In addition to the sale of orchids, a judged exhibition of exotic, historic and rare orchids lined the famed “World’s Largest Mahogany Table” within the Hall of Giants. The show was sanctioned by the American Orchid Society and the Vero Beach Orchid Society. McKee itself is renowned for its orchids, which had been a passion of Arthur McKee, co-founder of McKee Jungle Gardens with Waldo Sexton. At one point, the collection he had amassed in Cleveland was one of the largest private orchid collections in the United States. In the 1930s, many of the Cleveland orchids were relocated to Vero. Over the years, those were joined by other rare and exotic orchids and plants brought back from locations around the world. After the Jungle Gardens closed in 1976 many of the historic orchids had found homes elsewhere. In 2001, thanks to the determination of local residents, the acreage that remained was reopened as McKee Botanical Garden. While some of the historic orchids were bequeathed back to the garden, McKee continues to rebuild the collection, which now features more than 2,000 rare, historic and native species. McKee is also involved with the Million Orchid Project, based out of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens in Miami, which hopes to reestablish native orchids throughout Florida. This June and July, McKee received four American Orchid Society Awards. Among them, the garden’s Cattleya measuresiana, appropriately named ‘McKee Botanical Garden,’ earned an Award of Merit in recognition of its superior flower quality. The Orchid Exhibition and Sale also marked the soft launch of “The Jungle Garden: Preserving a Tropical Landscape,” a commemorative book celebrating the 25th anniversary of the garden’s reopening. The book is available for purchase in the gift shop, the McKee and Rizzoli websites, and a launch event is scheduled for Nov. 12 at the Vero Beach Book Center. Upcoming events include an October installation, “Wild About Babies,” by contemporary artists Gillie and Marc, featuring lifelike bronze sculptures of critically endangered newborn animals, which will remain on display until December 2027. An extended Holiday Lights event, Nov. 29 to Jan. 2, will feature the animals in Jungle Lights, Return of the Wild. For more information please visit McKeeGarden.org. <em>Photos by Joshua Kodis</em> [gallery ids="236917,236918,236919,236920,236921,236922,236923,236924,236925,236926,236927,236928,236929,236930,236931,236932,236933,236934,236935,236936,236937,236938,236939,236940"]