For those that do not know me well I am a plant nut. I love flowers, gardening and plants in general so a trip to the SF Conservatory of Flowers was first on the list.
The building is lovely on its own. The weather was sunny today, and when we arrived was the only time we used jackets, the rest of the day was warm enough to just go in long sleeve shirts. The tropical warmth inside the conservatories' Lowlands Gallery was heavenly. It is a treasure trove of plants, many which are over 100 years old.
This is Phil, a 100 plus year old Philodendron. He may not look impressive in the photo but that one elephant type ear leaf is nearly as big as my entire upper body.
They were transported in the Victorian era in glass boxes similar to this one below on ships. This glass part comes down and acts as a roof on the wooden box. Inside the box now is a sweetly scented orchid.
Tons of gorgeous orchids were around every corner.
In many shapes and sizes, they seem to grow effortlessly in here.
I was so interested in listening to the docent explain so many interesting facts and historical tidbits that I did not get names of several flowers and plants that I would love to know the names of.
This one took me by surprise, it is an impatien not an orchid. The flowers kind of reminded us of candy corn.
More orchids
A Victorian orchid case made from an unreal Brazilian hard wood that is 10 times denser than redwood and impervious to water damage and bugs. It is also so heavy that equipment is needed to move things made from it.
This pergola is made of it and had to be brought in with a forklift.
Another shot of the Orchid Cases
This is just a fraction of my photos today but I will try to break it up so as not to overwhelm you with it all. It was a very good day. We also went to the Japanese Tea Garden today and tried out a local brewery/restaurant. I do love a good brew. All was good.
Have a great evening…
Oh, I enjoyed this tour! How incredible! I only wish I could smell those sweet fragrances!
ReplyDeletePhenomenally huge and beautifully maintained conservatory I have ever seen. Thank you so much for sharing such eye cooling photo’s and information. I would definitely like to visit it.
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