Orchid Fever

Harry Zelenko uses orchids to create art

By Danny Brody

Ecuador is a great place to grow orchids.

Orchids!

The title of this pictorial encyclopedia of oncidium, with its exclamation point, seems like an insistent roar. But orchids, with their mysterious growing and blooming habits, and seemingly endless varieties (officially more than 22,000 and counting), seduce with more of a subtle whisper.

The tender flesh of the plant, when the flower is in bloom, is reminiscent of softly stroking the cheek of a loved one. It is that seductive. Just ask Harry Zelenko, who has been painting orchids for more than 20 years and has become a leading expert on the flower, particularly the oncidium, or onc for short.

Zelenko, who years ago was a highly sought graphic designer in New York City, has traveled the world creating watercolors from plants and blossoms that are at once subtle and provocative. His painted orchid scarf is a work of wonder — a kaleidoscopic vision of blossoms and petals, colorful but restrained, like the orchid itself.

Zelenko now lives in Cumbaya, a suburb of Quito, Ecuador. Asked why he moved there, he pointed to his temple and said, “Orquídea loco.” [Translation: I'm a wild and crazy orchid guy.] As it turns out, the first reason was “to be with my current wife, Rosemarie.” There's always a girl in the story, and with the oncidium growing in hot climates from South Florida to Argentina, it's probably not the first time the two have been intertwined.

The Ecuador exhibit recently won several prizes at the World Orchid Conference at Miami’s Merchandise Mart, although it was one of the more understated booths. Most featured a riot of purple and gold flowers filling every inch of each booth. Other elaborate displays included volcanoes, splashing fountains, Buddha statues and background music. There were even a few live macaws, who looked bored and never seemed to stop cleaning themselves. Even with thousands of orchids in the room, Miami will never be mistaken for a savanna.

Orchids are not cheap, and each one has a story. “The more I learned, the less I knew,” said Zelenko, who started growing orchids on the roof of his Upper East Side brownstone in 1962. In his Nero Wolfe-style rooftop greenhouse, he, along with two other artists, had to wait for the plants to bloom so they could illustrate the flowers — 800 plants, 850 illustrations, all done to scale. Not surprisingly, the resulting work was 13 years in the making. The second edition took another seven.

“To hell with the cache that orchids are sexy,” he growled. “I don't think they're sexy — unless you consider aggravation sexy, or heartache,” he said with a wink.   

Zelenko sold his East 61st Street brownstone nine years ago and followed his love and his flower, in that order, to the beautiful serenity of Ecuador. The vibrant orchid-lover has no regrets.

“My birthday was January 28,” he said with a smile, then whispered, “I just turned 80.” 

His new book — 400 pages and 1,200 photographs — is almost ready. “I learned how to kill orchids more than 40 years ago,” he joked. “Now I'm learning by observation.”

Orchids! The Pictorial Encyclopedia and Zelenko’s Orchid Silk Scarf ($65) are available from York Street Books at www.zaipubs.com.