The Glass Menagerie

 

 

 

  

 

Just off to the left of the beautiful Dahlia dell is the striking glass conservatory called the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. It is the oldest and largest wood and glass domed greenhouse in the United States. Recently updated to its original state, this impressive monument houses various tropical gardens ranging from the cloud forest, to the humid lowlands of the tropics, the dry dessert garden to interesting curiosities like Nepenthes (carnivorous plants).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entering the large domed entrance to the great hall one immediately looks up to the curved glass domes where huge tropical trees from the cloud forests dominate the entire space. A large hundred year old philodendron completely covers one of the trees nearby, in the center of this photo below.

 

 

 

I really was surprised to see a whole collection of begonias, but not just ordinary one’s,

these are special hybrids, doubles and frilly varieties. The collections shown were

very colorful, loaded with flowers and very delicate looking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The separate water pavilion is so exotic with different types of water lily’s like these gorgeous tropical purple varieties. They also had the extra large water lily called Victoria Amazonica with their huge bronze/green pads and maroon in the center with creamy white to pink flower petals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The conservatory is beautifully decorated outside as well with beautiful annual beds, the dahlia dell, a succulent hill other border areas that hold a collection of shade plants and other perennials.  When you are in Golden Gate park, do make an effort to visit this amazing monument – its quite a show inside as well as the outside.

 

 

This is my contribution for Today’s Flowers to see more go visit http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/

This is also my contribution for Fertilizer Friday’s to see more posts, go visit http://www.tootsietime.com