The 2011 Conservatory World Tour

The winter has a way of making us both want to hibernate while giving us cabin fever. One way we can deal with this is to go somewhere that takes us away to another place - an oasis that shines in the midst of a vastly different environment outside its borders - the botanical conservatory.

Last week, I invited anyone that wanted to participate to join in the Conservatory World Tour by visiting their local botanical conservatories and sharing their experience with the rest of us. "Travelers" on the tour came from one side of the country to the other.

Photo by Catherine at A Gardener in Progress

Catherine, at A Gardener in Progress, lives and gardens in Seattle, WA, in zone 8A. She visited Volunteer Park Conservatory. Look at those orchids!






Kate lives on Long Island, NY, and writes of her zone 7 gardening experiences at Gardening and Gardens. She chose the conservatory at New York Botanical Gardens, in the Bronx, a place I hope to visit on my next trip to New York City.

Photo by Kate of Gardens and Gardening

Photo by Daricia at A Charlotte Garden

Daricia writes about her zone 7A garden in Charlotte, NC, at A Charlotte Garden. She visited the conservatory at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in nearby Belmont, NC. The Tillandsia arches are stunning.











Chris, who lives and gardens in zone 5A in Champaign, IL, blogs at From the Soil. He's fortunate to be able to visit the Plant Conservatory at The University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Campus, by taking a five-minute walk from his office! Now wouldn't it be nice if we all could do that?

Photo by Chris of From the Soil

Photo by Delaware Garden Blog

Delaware Garden Blog lives in zone 5B in central Ohio and chose to visit Franklin Botanical Conservatory in nearby Columbus, OH, during their Orchid Forest Display. I've been to the conservatory several times but never during this event. Go see her gorgeous photos of the orchids she saw!



We made a family day of our visit to the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory in Ft. Wayne, IN, as we do each winter. It's close enough (35 miles west) that we can visit often and thanks to my membership in the AHS (American Horticultural Society), I enjoy free admission.

Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory in Ft. Wayne, IN

I hope you enjoyed the tour as much as I did. Let's do it again next year!