Brookside Gardens Conservatory - March 2013

It was a gray and cold morning when I went to the Brookside Gardens conservatory this month. The warmth and gurgling water through the lush tropical plantings was a respite from all winter thoughts. Doesn’t the little water fall and river rocks framed by green look welcoming?

The tropical food plants continue to be displayed. I noticed a very small pineapple. Notice how the skin looks very prickly at this stage; the segments flatten as the fruit expands. The star fruit, chocolate and bananas seen on previous visits were still around. A new addition that I had not noticed before was cardamom in bloom.

Many orchids were in full bloom. The orange ones at the left were growing from a hanging pot. 

There were pink poinsettias tucked underneath some other plants. Were they left over from Christmas and just too pretty to jettison?

I always enjoy a walk around the conservatory - checking on plants from the last time I was there and discovering new ones.

Brookside Gardens Conservatory - February 2013

The Brookside Gardens Conservatory is a warm, lush place for a pleasant winter afternoon. There are lots of colors to enjoy - dominated by greens. I always look for the spirals of ferns unfurling. There was some construction going on at the main door when I was there so it was more noticeable than usual that the smaller plants are moved around.

The tropical fruits I noticed in January - pineapple, bananas, and chocolate - were still there. And I noticed the star fruit ripening. The begonias always seem to be blooming and the variegated crotons fill their corner with their bright leaves. Camellias were full of buds - and a few early blooms. They’ll be spectacular in March. I even found myself appreciating the lettuce for its translucent green leaves with reddish margins. I usually photograph the bird-of-paradise flowers that are dominated with orange but this time I tried the white ones instead; they are very large and produced by one of the oldest plants in the conservatory.

As I was leaving Brookside an older woman ask me what there was to see at the gardens and I recommended the conservatory as a richness of plants to see and an easy walk. She was in her 90s! I hope she enjoyed her outing to Brookside Gardens.