With the title “Orchid Rodeo” lending a Western theme to it this year, the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s annual orchid show underscores orchids’ amazing ability to thrive in unexpected places all over the world. “Orchids aren’t all fragile — they’re fierce,” says Amanda Hannah, the garden’s director of botanical garden horticulture, in a news release. “They grow on every continent except Antarctica, thrive in some of the harshest conditions on earth and somehow still bring unexpected color even to the desert.” “Orchid Rodeo” runs Feb. 14 through April 5. This Cypripedium calceolus is among more than 100 types of orchids to be showcased throughout “Orchid Rodeo,” this year’s annual orchid show at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. (Courtesy of Holden Forests Gardens) Evenings of line dancing amid the flowers, along with live music, food and beverages, crafts and other interactive components, have been built into this year’s show, luring those afflicted by cabin fever in a season of frigid temperatures and lots of snow. Orchids in hues of pink, purple and yellow will surround visitors to the Botanical Garden’s Costa Rica and Madagascar glasshouses and other indoor spaces. Painted canyons and a variety of cacti will set the stage at the entry, leading visitors into a theater where an orchid-adorned piano and barrel tables create the experience of a Western-style saloon. Tumbleweeds and orchids surround an outlaw camp once visitors step into the arid glasshouse of Madagascar, while next door in the tropical Costa Rica biome, they will find a gold rush mining camp being taken over by orchids. The tropical Costa Rica biome at the Cleveland Botanical Garden is among the spaces that will be filled with orchids during “Orchid Rodeo.” (Courtesy of Holden Forests Gardens) Engage your sense of smell in a carnival-style “sniffing booth” in Eppig Hall, transformed into a rodeo scene for the duration of this year’s orchid show. Most special events require reservations and cost $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers. Round up your women friends and register for the Galentine’s Day celebration on Feb. 13. It’s an exclusive first look without the crowds, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., the day before the show opens. Make friendship bracelets and enjoy animal encounters amid the orchids during the preview. On Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, enjoy live music, adult drinks and tasty treats at another after-dark event, also from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. — after the show closes to the public on its opening date. Spend part of your Sunday afternoon, specifically 2:30 to 5 p.m., at Steeped in Love, a chocolate tea tasting during which seven curated coffees and teas will be paired with four foods. The brewed mixtures are from Ohio-based Eisen Creek. The drinks, good hot or cold, are naturally sugar-free and rich in healthful antioxidants. The tasting, which includes “Orchid Rodeo” admission, debuted last year and costs $55 for members and $60 for nonmembers. Those who like to make movement part of their routine can join line dancing amid the orchids from 6 to 9 p.m. on two Saturdays, March 7 and 21. Arrive early to take in the show. A half-hour of guided instruction begins the evening, followed by group line dancing the rest of the night. Registration is required. Orchid workshops and classes for those wishing to grow their own will fill out the Orchid Show schedule. ‘Orchid Rodeo’ Where: Cleveland Botanical Garden, 11030 East Blvd. When: Feb. 14 through April 5. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays; noon to 5 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays except for Presidents Day, on Feb. 16, when hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: $21 adults, $15 children 3 to 12; free for children 2 and younger and Holden Forests Gardens members. Info: holdenfg.org or 216-721-1600. ...read more read less