Courtesy Mitchell ParkMitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory
[ Milwaukee ]
No matter what the weather, Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory’s three glass-shaped domes are always in season. Affectionately dubbed “the Domes,” each of these conical buildings towers seven stories above the soil and contains an acre of garden space inside, with its own climate-controlled environment for its prime “growing season.”
“The Desert Dome boasts a world-class selection of cacti and succulents. In the Tropical Dome you will find over 1,200 species of tropical plants, including orchids and philodendrons, as well as several species of birds, reptiles and insects. And the ever-changing Show Dome showcases five changing floral displays each year,” explained conservatory director Sandy Folaron. “The building project started in 1961 and ended in 1967 with the then first lady, Lady Bird Johnson, opening it up with a dedication to the national efforts for the Beautification of America programs.”
The conservatory offers groups self-guided tours, an education center with live animals and a gift shop filled with great mementos of this Milwaukee icon. Throughout the year, the Domes plays host to many events and venues, including live concert series, nighttime LED light shows and holiday festivities for each season.
Desert Botanical Garden
[ Phoenix ]
Founded in 1939 by Gertrude Divine Webster, a forward-thinking environmentalist, Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden has grown immensely throughout the years with the help of more than 1,140 volunteers and a dedicated staff of 104. The garden spans 145 acres and contains more than 50,000 species of plant life, with a strong representation of regional favorites such as cactus, agave, aloe and other flora associated with the Sonoran Desert.
The Desert Botanical Garden strives to educate the community and each visiting group on the importance of conservation, with special emphasis on the southwestern portions of the United States. Although the garden is set in what is commonly considered an arid and dry climate, the scene comes alive at different times of the day, and groups give varying reports of the best time to “take the garden in.”
“I like being here at sunset,” noted John Sallot, director of marketing. Sallot and his team work to preserve and promote the more than 169 rare, threatened or endangered plant species from the world’s deserts.
www.dbg.org
Longwood Gardens
[ Kennett Square, Pennsylvania ]
Spanning more than 1,077 acres, including a four-acre conservatory with seasonal displays, Longwood Gardens welcomes groups year-round for self-guided or staff-guided tours of the gardens.
Longwood features 20 indoor and 20 outdoor gardens and stakes its claim as the home of more fountains than any other garden in the United States, with three large fountain gardens. The Main Fountains Garden circulates 10,000 gallons of water per minute and shoots water as high as 130 feet. The Italian Water Garden has more than 600 water-loaded jets, and the Open Air Theatre Fountains are hidden in the outdoor theater’s stage.
Throughout the seasons, groups can enjoy many events and activities around the garden, from illuminated fountain shows on summer evenings to concerts featuring Longwood’s own 10,010-pipe Aeolian Organ and custom Steinway piano. Longwood is also home to a whimsical topiary garden for children, the largest Green Wall in North America and an ever-blooming orchid room that features more than 9,000 species of orchid.
“I love the fact that every day I walk through the garden is a new and different experience,” said Patricia Evans, communications manager, who also enjoys grabbing a hot meal at the on-site restaurant and self-service cafe. “From a colorful new plant blooming to the bells of our Chimes Tower ringing the hour while the wind whistles through our historic trees, each day is different, and each day is wonderful.”
