A San Francisco Treat

On a cold and brisk January morning visiting Golden Gate park, I found the perfect venue to while away a few hours and wait for the outside weather to warm up a bit.

Every Christmas until mid-January, the conservatory of flowers creates a spectacular display of a miniature San Francisco complete with model trains running through an entire wing of the conservatory. All the buildings are built thoughfully with used or recyled materials to mimic famous local landmarks and the landscapes complement the various sites with well chosen hardscaping, foliage plants and flowers to create a magical display for all to enjoy.

 

Miniature flowers on display including kalanchoes, petite roses and heather/ericas punctuate the landscape with hot bursts of colors.

 

This cable car traverses a canyon filled with ericas in full bloom, quite a specular combination that works so well with the diorama.

Miniature foliage plants and baby shrubs like this asparagus fern, lichens and topiaried evergreens add realistic green elements, here the scene shows a small replica model of Stowe lake in Golden Gate park.

Children just filled up the entire wing of the conservatory, completely mesmerized by all the frenetic action of the trains and the colorful models and landscape. I think this boy really wants to go for an adventure ride and is intent on finding the conductor inside the caboose.

Beautiful buildings made completely with recycled materials like the ferry building created with forks, spoons, a cheese grater and oven knob, there's always a use for recycled kitchen tools here. The main San Francisco Ferry sign is ingeniously made with scrabble squares sitting on top of the roof building.

 

The combinations of plant materials, textures and scale of plants is tastefully chosen to fit the correct scale of the trains and hidden areas like tunnels create a magical dissapearing and reappearing act.

Even famous landmarks in Golden Gate park are depicted like the De Young Museum and the Natural Science Museum below. Next to it is the one of the tall pagodas designating the Japanese Tea garden with some real bonsai trees.

Even the bison pens showcasing the herd of bisons in the park are on display.

I hope you enjoyed the miniature tour of San Francisco in January, it looks like everyone had a good time.

This is my contribution to garden bloggers bloom day for January 2011, to visit other exciting gardens go to http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/