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!

Fairy Dusters

Calliandra emarginata

 Here is the second installment of my New Year's resolution, which I am keeping. It is the pink fairy duster (don't you just love that name?)- also called powder puff plant or Calliandra emarginata. 
I have seen this at many conservatories including Matthaei Botanical Garden and the one pictured here  from the Anna Scripps Whitcomb conservatory on Belle Isle. (Belle Isle was just recently made a Michigan state park, and the changes in the conservatory under the new management are remarkable!)
The sign in the conservatory states that it is a pink powder puff plant. I'm not seeing any pink, but I'm assuming it is correctly labeled. The first thing you notice are the poofy (obviously a word I've made up) flowers. But, on further study, I've found that these flowers are really a ball of stamens. Calliandra is Greek for 'beautiful stamens'. The true flowers are in a cluster in the middle and when in bud looks like a raspberry. The flower has no petals. Logee's catalog describes it as looking like "exploding fireworks".  This species is native to Mexico and Central America and is pollinated by hummingbirds. It grows into a  3-6' tall shrub, making it perfect for the greenhouse. It can be trimmed, as it blooms on new growth and it is almost always in bloom. It takes sun to part shade and is drought tolerant after becoming established. I saw this plant on a bonsai page and they make great bonsai. And, because it is drought tolerant, is a perfect plant for the bonsai beginner. It is a beautiful plant adding color and interest to the conservatory.

Calliandra emarginata

A flower that is almost done.

Poinsettias are Not Blase!

Who says poinsettias are blase? Well, a lot of people actually. I was one of those people, but have become a huge fan. Huge!
 I love them on antique postcards.......

 

on doilies....

My Mom made this beautiful doily for me.

on pillowcases.....

My Grandma Eldred embroidered this.

as Christmas ornaments....

on clocks.....

If it didn't say Christmas it would stay up all year.

on fabric....

This is the fabric I used to make my dining room table cloth.

 and antique handkerchiefs.....

  
 on wrapping paper......

and most especially on this antique picture my friend bought me. I love it!!!

Antique poinsettia print.

 Oh. Don't forget the candle holders.

   

 And those are just the non-living kind. We haven't even talked about the living poinsettias yet.
 They previously only came in red, white, and pink. But now, they are speckled, spotted, purple, blue, orange, and teal, just to mention a few.

A plethora of poinsettias.

Painted and glittered. I think they went a little crazy.....

 Living poinsettias are used to decorate all kinds of things including this beautiful cart at the Belle Isle Conservatory in Detroit, as well as this tree of poinsettias.

Belle Isle Conservatory

 

Pretty much, I love them on everything, no matter what it is. And if they are so blase, why are they the top selling flowering potted plant in America? 
So where did poinsettias, Euphorbia pulcherrima, come from? How did they become such an icon of Christmas? 
It all began in 1820's when the first United States Ambassador to Mexico,  southern plantation owner and botanist, Joel Robert Poinsett came upon this beautiful wildflower. He sent cuttings back to his greenhouse in South Carolina, and the rest is history. Who wouldn't love a brilliant red potted plant at Christmas time?

Some interesting facts about poinsettias.- Poinsettias are the #1 flowering potted plant sold in America, with over $250 million dollars in sales annually. Women make up 80% of the sales. Red is the #1 color , followed by white, and pink.  They are not poisonous, contrary to popular belief. National Poinsettia Day is December 12, to honor the day Joel Poinsett died in 1851.
Poinsettias have come a long way since the day Joel Poinsett discovered them and sent them to America. I wonder if he would even recognize the beautiful, compact, colorful plants that we have today. I think the painted orange, purple, and blue ones would blow him out of the water. They have an interesting history in America, and I hope you look at them a little differently now and next year decide to purchase one (or two or three) for your home during the holidays.