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.:A Desert Lifestyle Article:.

Orchid Festival: Wealth, Love & Beauty
By: Katrina Pride

If you are looking for something uniquely Hi-Desert to do this summer look no further than Gubler Orchids in Landers, California.  Literally a diamond in the rough, this desert curiosity welcomes thousands of guests each year and every October hosts the Hi-Desert’s own Orchid Festival.

Historically, the meaning of the orchid includes wealth, love and beauty, as well as luxury and strength.  With an estimated 25,000 different species existing naturally and more being discovered each year, orchids are the largest flowering plant family.  Orchid cultivation has been a common hobby for collectors since the 18th century.  This fascination flourishes today as people worldwide continue to be captivated by the beauty and diversity of the orchid.

The Gubler family of Landers, California shares in this passion for orchids.  They started Gubler Orchids in 1954 selling orchids from the back of their station wagon in Altadena, California.  As their business successfully grew they were able to move to Pasadena in 1958 and open a 1,200 sq. ft. greenhouse.  A leader in orchid know-how, Hans Gubler patented the concept of selling a packaged orchid seedling, complete with growing instructions.  His advancements revolutionized the merchandising of plants in the industry and grew the family business exponentially.  With the need for more greenhouse space, the Gublers moved their business to the Hi-Desert town of Landers, which happens to be an ideal location for growing orchids. 

Today Gubler Orchids has over 130,000 sq. ft. of greenhouses in production and their facility is always an impressive display of organized beauty.   The Gublers invite guests to visit and tour their greenhouses throughout the year. 

Through their diligence and innovation, Gubler’s has developed a reputation as one of the top quality orchid growers in the world.  For this reason the Yucca Valley Sunset Rotary Club has partnered with Gubler Orchids in hosting the Morongo Basin Orchid Festival for the last 12 years.  This event, which began as a fundraiser to attract tourism to the Morongo Basin, has quickly turned into a Hi-Desert tradition.

Each year the Yucca Valley Sunset Rotary Club selects various Morongo Basin charities to benefit from the proceeds of the Orchid Festival.  100% of the profits from plant sales are donated to these local charities.  In addition, beneficiaries are invited to the festival to educate and inform guests about their causes.  In fact, any non-profit organization is invited to participate or host a fundraiser in conjunction with the Orchid Festival.

“We feel that by donating our plants to the cause we can do more than just writing a check…hosting this event and contributing is our way of giving back to the community.  There are a lot of local organizations needing help,” says Chris Gubler, Gubler Orchids owner. 

Over the years this event has raised and distributed tens of thousands of dollars to local charities and schools.  Last year alone the Rotary raised over $13,000 during the two day event.  2008 will be the 13th year for the Morongo Basin Orchid Festival.  This family-fun event includes free behind–the-scenes tours not otherwise available to the public, free and fee-based orchid classes hosted by the Orchid Society of Arizona, vendors selling orchids, as well as various crafts and pottery.  There will also be free live music, wine and cheese tasting and food and drink for all ages.  Join us at Gubler’s on October 4th and 5th and help the Yucca Valley Sunset Rotary as they continue to provide for our Hi-Desert communities.  

For more information on this year’s Orchid Festival please visit www.sunsetrotary.org or www.gublers.com.