Stop by in winter and you will be amply rewarded for your slippery trek when you walk through the door of the first greenhouse. Moist, warm air flows gently, circulated by large fans that hum quietly overhead. High tech grow lights cast rich yellow light over tables filled with orchids of every size, shape and hue. Wall panels fashioned of netted wire that suspend from the ceiling are festooned with hundreds of tiny orchids clinging to small squares of bark. Wooden planters hang in cascades from overhead bars, spilling over with leaves and twisting root systems.
Blooms stir slightly in the humid air currents.
There is the sound of water dripping on stones. The greenhouses are filled with such delights that even the merely curious visitor will be surprised at how quickly time passes while just exploring. There are identification tags to read and colors to drink in. Look up and you will see pale gray tangles of root systems that spill from planters and sway above the leaves of tabled specimens. Look down at the floor of loose stones tinged green from humidity and you will discover tiny microsystems of moss, lichens and wild clover plants nestled around table legs.