It's Chrysanthemum Time at the Seymour Conservatory

Soon poinsettias, hippeastrum, and all manner of blooming plants associated with Christmas will decorate the conservatory for Santa's visit on December 1 but a couple of Sundays ago, the chrysanthemums were in fine form when we walked over to the park. 

I've admired exhibition chrysanthemums since I encountered my first ones as elements in my sister Kathy's wedding arrangements in 1969.  To my young eyes, these bodacious blooms were amazing in their size and complexity. (They were creamy white irregular incurves and I always think of Kathy when I see them.)  There was no local florist so flowers were flown in for special occasions.  

It would be 8  years later that I first saw spider mums.   

Perhaps when I have more time, like in retirement, I'll have a go at growing some of these in pots. 

In my experience,  the blooms on a lot of mums bought at nurseries/hardware stores for late summer/autumn decoration tend to ball up and get moldy when the autumn rains start.  The benefit of growing these in pots would be that the blooms can be kept dry.

On the second Sunday of each month, there's live music at the conservatory.  

Do you grow mums?  Have you ever tried the exhibition types that require disbudding? Do you have a favorite form?

Of course there were other plants in bloom as well. 

That's it for this month's Seymour stroll.  

A Healing Moment

No, it's not a visit with Aimee Semple McPherson or Pat Robertson.

Over at the Seymour Botanical Conservatory, the current display in the ever changing areas is "The Healing Garden."  

We all need a conservatory like this in our back yards don't we? 

Just the right size for starting a few seeds and keeping a plant or  two.

Stepping inside, I feel better already.

Azaleas, Oxalis triangularis, and Cyclamen (oh my!)

A

Scented Pelargonium, Stachys byzantina, and others.  I think we were supposed to touch and smell these.

This Pelargonium came with instructions. I don't often criticize the efforts of anyone who gardens but in a botanical garden, it would be nice if signage carried the correct name of the plants. In an effort to educate the public, how about "Pelargonium 'Graveolens' or P. 'Rosat' (Scented Geranium.)"

Some plants are labeled; others not. However, the staff are always willing to identify plants for you.

Don't forget to look up!

The sign on this Agave reads "Century Plant."  Really?  

Meanwhile, this sign was great and I learned something about pepper! Since pot is now legal here and impairs memory, perhaps users should include more pepper in their diets.

The first time I've seen Piper nigrum in person.

Looking up again. 

The tropical area has more permanent plants.  I wonder were the idea to hang Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish Moss) in my greenhouse?

This fellow looks really great with his Rhipsalis coiffure.

New flush of growth on this cycad. 

Deeper and deeper into the jungle.

There are almost always orchids in bloom here if you enjoy them.  

Orchids out of bloom  are sort of meh.

More Spanish Moss and orchids. 

Something else I didn't know!

And in the gift shop, these pots that I'm seeing in lots of places this spring.  I really like the shape and material  but what will thrive in such dark conditions?  Gnomes, fairies, slugs, snails, earwigs, spiders, and Flinstones action figures of course, but what about plants?

My five senses have been awakened although, to be honest, I didn't taste anything.   Well, four out of five isn't bad. If you're in the hood, stop by and see the latest exhibit at the Seymour Conservatory!

On The Eleventh Day of Christmas We Visit the Seymour Conservatory

Still decked for the season, the conservatory awaits.  Let's see what's waiting inside.

An explosion of Poinsettias and Hippeastrum (amaryllis)

 Poinsettia trees along with the huge always-fruiting Pondarosa Lemon (hybrid of a lemon and a citron which has huge fruit!)

Like many of the seasonal floral displays, the poinsettias are grown in metro parks greenhouses across town and brought in for the display

Nestled among some of the permanent residents of the conservatory, the blooms glow.

This is a great place to visit in the winter and while there are lots of special events and sometimes live music, I love going when the place is mostly empty and one can sit and enjoy the warmth and foliage.

The unlabeled agapetes is beginning to bloom again!

the patterns on the flowers are so interesting.  One of my own is blooming in my greenhouse as well.

Surprise of surprises, there's snow in the tropics.  How did that happen?

The large leaves of this philodendron are beautiful

but it was the pattern on its stems (trunks?) that really caught my eye.

You are being watched!

See, orchids are easy to grow (in a perfectly temperature and humidity controlled environment.)

One never knows what might pop up.  

We'll visit once again in February when the new display, "Crave: An Early Glimpse of Spring," goes in. If you're in the area, do drop by the conservatory. I keep forgetting to take pictures of the cute things in the gift shop.  Oops.

Happy eleventh day of Christmas all!