Holidays Under Glass

Belle Isle Conservatory show room

I live near two beautiful conservatories and I make sure to visit during the Christmas season. They never fail to come through with amazing holiday plants and displays. 
The first pictures are from the Belle Isle Conservatory. This island is in the middle of the Detroit River and is undergoing a major renovation as it is now being run as a state park. 
The conservatory is also under new management and is looking better than ever. I love this pastel scene in the show house.

Poinsettias and cyclamen look beautiful together

The next conservatory is at the Matthaei Botanical Garden in Ann Arbor. I was there yesterday for the meeting of the Michigan Cactus and Succulent Society and had about 30 minutes to run through the conservatory.

They had two beautifully decorated Christmas trees.

The first thing I noticed (other than the Christmas tree) was the strong aroma of paper whites. It wasn't too overpowering, though, as the conservatory is big enough to handle it. In a small area, they can be a little overwhelming. If I have them in the house, I usually get asked nicely to move them out of the room.

An arrangement including paper whites, Caladiums, Euphorbia, and ivy.

Love this gorgeous white poinsettia tree.

I can't remember if this ivy wreath was there before, but it looks great dressed up for Christmas. Think about decorating your houseplants for the holidays. A bow or holiday pick is all you need to make your houseplant "merry"!

Of course, the holiday conservatory wouldn't be complete without a liberal amount of poinsettias added to the planting beds for some gorgeous color.

In the desert room, they had a beautiful succulent tree with a fairy and a blooming tillandsia to top it off.

The following pictures were taken through a kaleidoscope they have set up. It is a big bowl that they set the plants in and then a rounded piece of metal with two kaleidoscopes mounted on it are above the plants. The plants are changed out for the seasons and at this time it has poinsettias and an ornamental grass or sedge in it. I just put my camera right up to the eye piece and I love the pictures.

If poinsettias aren't your thing, there are always beautiful flowering plants to see, such as the ones below.

Cattleya orchid

Camellia

Euphorbia milii or Crown of Thorns

Helliconia

Take time to visit a conservatory near you during the holidays. Most botanical gardens have very nice gift shops. I picked out a few Christmas gifts,  and the profits help support the garden.

Belle Isle Conservatory

Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, Belle Isle, Detroit, MI

Not long ago, my husband and I went to Belle Isle to the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory. If you haven't been there, you really need to go. It is a beautiful place, on an island in the Detroit River. It was opened in 1904 and was renovated in 1950. At that time, the wood frame was changed to iron and aluminum. The conservatory is modelled after Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and covers more than 1 acre. Mrs. Anna Scripps Whitcomb left her 600 plant orchid collection to the conservatory. Now the conservatory bears her name. Here are a few pictures:

Poinsettias in the show house.

Spring flower cart.

Christmas flower cart.

Bromeliad flower leaning over calathea leaves.

The palm house.

Statue on fountain.

Philodendron stems.

Pandanus~screw pine.

The desert house.

Cyclamen in the show house in February.

Cyclamen and kalanchoe in show house.

Fern house.

Detroit may have a bad reputation, I even know people afraid to go there,  but going to Belle Isle is something everyone should experience. Belle Isle was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the same architect who designed Central Park in New York City. It's a piece of history that needs to be preserved and taken care of.  The conservatory is a great place to start.