A lifelong bookworm, botany enthusiast, and birdwatcher, Orlando Diaz knows all of the hidden secrets to getting a garden to thrive in the city, and he loves sharing his knowledge with others.

After spending his childhood exploring the mountains, coasts, and jungles of his native Latin America, he embarked on his botanical career, and has spent the last 30 years working in fine gardens in New York, Germany, and Spain. 

Orlando is inspired by helping people, and plants, blossom. He has a special love of bulbs, and was a part of the effort to distribute thousands of flower bulbs donated by the Dutch people to the citizens of NYC following 9/11.

When he isn’t in a Folia garden, you might find Orlando enjoying the Azaleas and Rhododendrons by the Central Park boathouse, or whipping up one of his specialties—homemade pies and Canelés.