The tropical dome at the Mitchell Park Conservatory (The Domes) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin was simply delightful. I could have stayed there for hours soaking in the warmth and beauty of the many tropical plants and trees. One question arises as to the difference between a greenhouse and a conservatory. The first difference is the layout. Most greenhouses are designed so plants are in pots sitting on specially designed tables whereas a conservatory is set up as an indoor garden oasis complete with water features that may or may not include fish. They often do though as fish are an important part of the ecosystem. Benches and other sitting spots are common in conservatories whereas greenhouses are meant mainly as organized aisles of plants. Both are concerned with the propagation of plants but conservatories specialize in rarer and harder to grow plants. Conservatories became popular during the Victorian era.
Orchid
Isn't this orchid just gorgeous? Unfortunately I did not write down the name of it and the picture didn't capture the tag. I rely heavily on my camera to capture not only the plant but the tag in this type of situation so must have been distracted to miss the tag.
I checked the Tropical Dome Plant Inventory online to identify this beauty. I think this is Phalaenopsis Jungle Gem X Golden Buddha Red Star a member of the Orchidaceae family if I have identified correctly. If I am wrong I hope someone will correct me. I'll email the conservatory to confirm my identification.
Banana Tree
Some of my most pleasurable moments have been spent in conservatories and greenhouses. They just have a wonderful peacefulness about them. I can remember sitting quietly in the university conservatory that surprisingly doesn't see a lot of traffic despite being gorgeous. It was one of my favourite hide-outs to spend a bit of free time during the winter months. There was a banana tree in there that just fascinated me so this banana tree brought back some lovely memories. Notice how the bananas grow upside down. One would think the hang downward so even this is quite interesting. I love the huge banana leaves.
What is interesting is a banana tree is not a tree at all but actually the world's largest herb! Most banana trees are hardy to USDA hardiness Zones 9 - 10 but Musa basjoo may survive outside as low as Zone 5 if well mulched. We are in Canadian hardiness Zone 6A so I am looking for this particular variety of banana for my garden. Smaller varieties make good houseplants as well so that is another option.
Golden Shrimp
The Golden Shrimp Plant (Pachystachys lutea) is a small shrub native to Peru that reaches a height of about 3 feet. It grows best in full sun with medium humidity as a houseplant or in the greenhouse. Mist the leave regularly to ensure proper humidity or use a stone humidity tray. The golden shrimp plant can be grown as a landscaping plant in tropical areas. This plant is prone to mealy bugs so always inspect any new plant and isolate it for a couple of weeks before introducing it to your other houseplants. This plant can easily be propagated via cuttings. Year round blooming can be encouraged by removing dead brads and trimming the plant a third way back to encourage new growth.
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
Yesterday I posted on a bit on the desert dome at the Mitchell Park Conservatory (The Domes) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I took a fair number of pictures so will be sharing some of those with you over the next couple of days. Cacti can be grown successfully indoors in northern climates in a sunny window. It is amazing to see the variety of cacti available, some more suitable to growing indoors for the gardener than others.
Cleistocactus
A nice feature of conservatories is many of the plants are labeled with their common and scientific names. If this is a plant you are interested in trying your hand at growing then take a picture along with recording the tag information. This will help ensure you get exactly the plant you are looking for.
Cleisrocactus (Cleistocatus hyalacanthus) [note a typo on the card] is a columnar cactus that is hardy to USDA Zones 10 and 11. This tall, fuzzy cactus grows to 4 - feet in height with small pink or pale red diurnal flowers about 1.6 - inches long. 
Welwitschia
Welwitschia (front bottom) is a low sprawling, sideways growing plant that grows from a short, thick, woody trunk. Two leaves continuously grow from their base for the entire lifespan (1,000 years or more) of the plant. These leaves split to form several strap-shaped sections disguising their origin. Welwitchia has a long, thick taproot.
Variegated Elephants Bush (Portulacaria afra variegata), just behind the Welwitschia is a small branching succulent shrub. It resembles a small variegated jade plant. This plant can make a fabulous indoor or outdoor container plant. If growing outdoor it is hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 10. Indoors treat as would other succulents such as jade. Be careful to not overwater. Variegated Elephants Bush has tiny pink blooms but these are seldom seen under cultivation.
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
Living in Ontario, Canada I don't have a lot of experience with cacti other than the few I grow on my windowsill. My little cacti seedlings are coming along nicely and while they are about double in size they sure take a long time to grow! I can fully appreciate how long it takes for a cactus to get to any appreciable size. Mine are now 3 years old and aren't even big enough to transplant. I'll have to remember to post an update :)
Most think of the desert as a hot, dry area and it it but it is surprising how very cold the desert can get! We've been in the Mojave Desert several times. While the temperatures can be stifling hot as high as 134ºF in Death Valley during the day the low can be as low as 8ºF at night. The Desert Dome of the Mitchell Park Conservatory (The Domes) was really on the cold side not much warmer if any than outdoors when we went through. Coats were a must!
Aloe Vera
I took a lot of pictures in the desert dome. Despite the cold it was quite enjoyable. Understated yet rustic accents like a cattle sculls were scattered randomly throughout the dome. Once again the dome was set up with plants bordering the perimeter of the dome with a well planted central region containing a small pond and a meandering path with benches to sit and enjoy.
I immediately recognized the aloe vera plant in the lower left corner. Aloe vera is a must have plant in any home. It is low maintenance with healing benefits especially for kitchen cuts and burns. I love the natural looking landscape showing this wonderful plant in its natural environment.
Golden Barrel Cactus
The Golden Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) is a Mexican native that is a protected species even though it is a popular cultivated species especially for houseplants but also in landscaping in suitable areas. This cactus lives to to be several hundred years old. The spines provide shade yet help catch rainfall directing it to the base of the plant. The accordion like folds expand and contract depending on the amount of rainfall the plant absorbs. One myth is the barrel cactus is a reservoir for fresh water but this is wrong even though moisture can be squeezed from the pulp.
Happy Gardening!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
