Anna Scripps Whitcomb- A Benevolent Woman

Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory

I am volunteering at the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory this winter and I love it! Belle Isle is a place I have visited a lot since moving to the metro Detroit area almost 30 years ago. It amazes me that people who have lived here all their lives have never been there. I love the aquarium, too, but as you know, plants are my passion. Soooo, I'm going to share some orchid photos today and tell you about the woman who gave them to the conservatory.

Anna Scripps Whitcomb (Photo Grosse Pointe Historical Society)

 Anna Virginia Scripps was born in 1866 to James and Harriet Scripps. Mr. Scripps was the founder of the Detroit News and was also involved in the founding of the Detroit Museum of Art, later to become the Detroit Institute of Art.  Anna Scripps married Edgar Bancroft Whitcomb in 1891 and had two children, Harriet and James. Mrs. Whitcomb had a large collection of orchids which upon her death in 1953 were bequeathed to the Belle Isle Conservatory. 
The Belle Isle Conservatory was opened August 18, 1904 and was designed by the famous architect Albert Kahn. The wooden structure was rebuilt from 1952-1954, replacing the wood with aluminum. In 1955, the conservatory was renamed the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory in honor of her donations. I have included a lot of pictures, so I hope you will not be bored. These pictures were not all taken this winter, but quite a few of them have been. Since the island is now run as a Michigan state park, some of these orchids may be in the city greenhouse, unable to be accessed for the the conservatory, but there are still many beautiful orchids.  Since they have been there since the early 1950s, many have lost their name tags. I like to know the names of plants, but in this case, it isn't possible. They are just gorgeous flowers. 
The fountain below was gifted to the conservatory by the Temperance League and many of the orchids are displayed around it. 

The fountain and pool around which many of the orchids are displayed

Oncidium orchid

Cymbidium orchid

Angraecum veitchii orchid (Photo by Jeremy Kemp)

A spray of orchids over the pool

Another view of the pool with orchids

For more pictures of the conservatory go to my Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory Pinterest board here.

Vanda orchid

A cart full of orchids and other plants

Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory palm house

If there are any of her descendants still in the Detroit area, I hope they still go there knowing their relative made the conservatory a much more colorful place. We appreciate it and enjoy the flowers immensely! Thank-you, Mrs. Whitcomb!

Shell Ginger

Alpinia zerumbet in flower

I have been to the Anna Scripps Whitcomb conservatory on Belle Isle almost every week for the last month and just noticed this shell ginger or Alpinia zerumbet blooming this week. I must be blind! Granted, it is above my head and I'm helping with 4th grade students who I'm looking down at, but still, how could I miss these beautiful flowers?

Alpinia zerumbet flower buds do look like shells

Alpinia zerumbet flower close up

Shell ginger, also called shellflower, pink porcelain lily, shellplant, and pearl-of-the-orient is a beautiful bloomer. It is obvious why it is called ginger or porcelain flower. The flower buds are shiny white with pink tips, and definitely look like shells or porcelain. It needs rich, organic, well drained soil, but doesn't want to dry out. It is native to China and the southern Japanese islands. Shell ginger grows from rhizomes and can grow 7-10' tall. If you are lucky enough to live in USDA Zone 9-11, you can grow them outside and see them flower.  Here in the frozen north (Zone 6a for me), they can only be seen in conservatories.  Grown as container plants or in the ground, the rhizomes can be dug and stored for the winter. The problem with that is they bloom on second year growth and if the foliage is cut off, it won't  bloom. Now, if you were to overwinter it as a houseplant and put it back outside, it may bloom...... Even without the blooms, the variegated version is beautiful and in fact, we sell it at our garden center in the spring. They can take full sun but do better in light shade. It definitely brightens up a shady container. I've read that they have "round, ribbed, hairy, vermilion, 3/4"diameter seed capsules." I will definitely be looking for those and will post a picture when they appear.

Dendrobium hsinying cruenzuki

The shell ginger flower reminds me of this Dendrobium above. I wrote about that orchid here.

Alpinia zerumbet

Remember when you are visiting a conservatory, look everywhere; up, down, and side ways. You never know what you might miss. I am so glad I looked up!

I love the sun shining through this flower

Check out the philodendron stems in the left side of this picture

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.