Beauty at Franklin Park Conservatory

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Bob and I arose early for worship at King Avenue United Methodist Church. As you can see, it was snowing a bit when we left around 8:45 a.m.

After church, we decided to go to the

Franklin Park Conservatory

for the orchid exhibit.

This orchid at the front door greeted us.

To gain perspective, the pot it's in is

approximately four feet tall!

And, yes, it's fake!

This was the first REAL orchid we saw.

I was impressed with the dainty size of this one. Each orchid is smaller than a dime.

Showing concurrently was a spun glass exhibit.

Below are glass flowers created by a local artist.

Isn't this purple one lovely?

This one didn't have many blooms,

but the few it had were quite showy.

The point of the next shot was to capture

the snow on the magnolia limbs behind the orchids.

This cascade of pink was so pretty.

We entered the tropical garden first.

I really liked this shot of the garden through a rock hole,

a waterfall creating a water wall between

where we were and where we were going.

Following is the other side of the same waterfall and hole.

I think this might have been my favorite orchid.

I love the blue.

What do you think about this purple pointed star?

Another shot of miniscule orchids next to a large palm branch...

I can't really explain how the gardeners had these orchids displayed.

Can you see the two kinds of orchids in this shot?

Okay, this may be my favortite orchid.

Wait!

I think I've already said that...

Another glass sculpture in the desert showroom.

I call it the Burning Bush.

Your guess is as good as mine...

Whoops! I stepped back into the tropical forest for one more shot.

Yep, it's a cactus.

This is an aloe. A LARGE aloe!

An outside courtyard that can be seen

from the hallway joining two exhibits

proves it's still winter outside.

Glass balls in a coy pond...

More balls...

Another lovely waterfall...

A glass sculpture in the distance?

A palm sanctuary...

This vine was like kudzu!

The sculpture up close...

about 20 feet tall!

These plants never will lack for adequate water.

A fast-moving waterfall...

Isn't the lilac and hot pink great together?

I don't know what this tropical plant is, but the foliage is remarkable.

Anyone for lemonade?

This was the ceiling leading

to the last portion of the exhibit.

A light above, glass flowers below,

and a clear glass wall to keep it all

from crashing on our heads.



The final few rooms...

This section had bonsai.

Lantana bonsai?

A little burst of springtime...

An orange tree?

Hmmm?

Stunning!

No THIS is an orange tree!!!

From floor to ceiling...

Bob

Classic fountain...

Sago palms?

A gazebo with glasswork...

A few parting shots of more orchids...

Last stop...Gift shop!