Even though it ’s felt like we inhabit in Seattle the yesteryear — oh , maybe — four month , it is still January in Minnesota . That means unforesightful days , cold temporary worker and a chance to scarper at theMarjorie McNeely Conservatoryat Como Park . Ilove , love , lovethe conservatory , especially in January . The air is moist , the temperatures are flirting with 75 and every winter , the folk at the conservatory female chest out the azaleas , the lilies , the Cyclamen purpurascens and mixed other colorful plants for the annualWinter Flower Show .
Yesterday , I wandered through the display and once again feel huge amounts of gratitude to the St. Paul visionaries who thought a public indoor garden would be a in effect ideaback in 1915.This twelvemonth ’s wintertime show part Saturday and runs through March 10 . Because it is early in the show , not all of the flowers were overt , but the promising pinks , purple and roseate hues made the Sunken Garden a bright spot in our otherwise blue and snowless landscape .
As is typical at the conservatory , a commixture of families with young children , couples , older adults and lensman were at the conservatory Monday afternoon . You inscribe the hothouse through the Fern Room , which features a falls and gives you the first taste of the Torrid Zone . You get in the Sunken Garden through the Palm Dome , which features banana tree plants and other tropicals . Most of these are green now , but the bright orangish rosiness of Parrot ’s Beak Heliconia tally a splash of color . The Palm Dome has a center fountain , surrounded by seating , where many visitor take a break to just look up at the covered stadium and the palms that almost rival it .
Cyclamen flowers dotted the Sunken Garden display.
The North Garden includes a larger weewee feature , flank on one side by a great statue of St. Francis and on the other by a Libyan Fighting Group tree . The hothouse nurseryman do a big job of educating visitant through docents and signage . The common fig tree tree was depend particularly unsheathed during my visit , but a nearby house explained that it had been “ pollarded , ” atechniqueused to control the sizing of plant that can not be appropriate to get hold of their full size ( such as those in conservatory ) .
In the Sunken Garden , the odour of the gorgeous Mona Lisa lilies added a summerlike palpate to the garden . The display is a mixture of azaleas , lilies , amaryllis and cyclamen along with fag and other yearly . The reflecting pool contribute a serenity to the space , and there is always something interesting going on . A young woman was posing for pictures for a lensman , and I could not help but cogitate she struck a pose not too unalike from the statue in the pool .
After an time of day in the conservatory , I had a camera full of photos and felt more cheerful about the respite of winter . I may be back , though , because the conservatoire hasmusic every Sunday eveningduring the winter . A variety of jazz , bluegrass and rock music performers are onthe docket . Just the matter for a winter weekend .
This fig tree was pollarded to control its growth in the North Garden.
Have you visited the conservatory ? What ’s your favourite plant there ?
Mona Lisa lilies are beautiful and fragrant.
A model posed for a photographer behind this statue.
An inviting spot to sit and enjoy the greenery.
