Congratualtions to "Eleven Who Care" Nominees Mike Porcaro & Ken Ellis as they bring beauty to Conservatory
American Garden Award Entries on Display at Conservatory
American Garden Award Entries on Display at Conservatory
The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory is one of 28 prestigious gardens participating in this year’s All-America Selections American Garden Award, the nation’s only popularity contest for flowers. The American Garden Award is a unique opportunity for the public to vote on a specific flower that they think has the most appealing garden characteristics. The six entries for 2012 are: Angelonia angustifolia ‘Serena® Blue’ Begonia boliviensis ‘Santa Cruz™ Sunset’ Gazania ‘Big Kiss™ White Flame’ F1 Petchoa x hybrida ‘SuperCal® Pink Ice’ Petunia ‘Surfinia® Deep Red’ Sunflower ‘Goldie’ F1 Voting is open June 1 – August 31 and winners are announced in September. To view the entries and place your vote, visit the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory before August 31. You can also vote online at http://www.americangardenaward.com./
Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in Full Bloom…As seen on FOX-9!
What Is It?
What Is It?
This is a photo taken of the underside of a Victoria Water Lily crown. All of the Victoria Water Lilies have been removed from the pools at the Visitor Center Entrance. The center of the picture shows the hard, fleshy main stem of the plant. Secondary to that, is the white roots that supported the lily in the pot. The thick crowns were cut out while the water was still in the pools. We used a very sharp, high-tech pruning shears from the Japanese Garden. Several cuts were made to get through the heavy stem.The top view of the cut crown shows 2 flower buds along with 2 folded, emerging pads. All of the bigger lily pads were cut off before the crowns were sliced off. Note all of the thorns. The stems, undersides of the pads, and the flower parts all have these spiny thorns. These lilies have great plant defense in the wild.This last photo is a side view showing all of the old stems from the pads that were cut off. The most pads we had on one lily at a time this year was 15. Wind gusts of 10-15 mph can overturn the pads very easily, and this accounts for the majority of our damage. You can look for the return of the Victoria Water Lilies to the Visitor Center pools, sometime in early June of 2012.
Only A Few Days Left To See The Summer Flower Show!
Possible seeds?? Big tuber!!
Possible seeds?? Big tuber!!
We discovered these seed looking structures this week on our corpse flower, BOB,too. After the initial excitement, it was determined that these were not viable seed and the reddish orange fruits were empty….This is the large empty looking pot in the support greenhouse that holds the tuber for BOB,too. The structure sticking out in the middle is actually the base of the inflorescence. The strange looking material on the left is the dried up inflorescence.It was thought that we might have some seeds that had developed!!After opening all the red berry looking structures, it was found that they were all empty. So sad……But there is a bright side to this story! Here is our Corpse Flower grower with the tuber of BOB,too!! It looks healthy and has only a few spots of rot that were treated. The tuber weighs 43lbs and 3/4 ounces! That is a change from the pre-flowering weight of the tuber. In December 2010 the tuber weighed 55 lbs 1 ounce. Now we need to get this tuber back in the pot and allow it to develop the big leaf that will channel more nutrients back into the ever growing tuber!43 lbs and 3/4 ounce!
Edible Garden Featured on FOX-9
Roots, Shoots & Fruits Featured on KSTP-TV!
So, while we are still waiting…
While we wait….
While we wait….
OK. This is the time that many horticulturists anticipate when growing the Corpse Flower …….there is little visible change and the bud is looking so ready to open at anytime. The only question that is asked now is “When will it bloom???” Well, we do not have a good answer for that inquiry at this moment!! Our guess is that it will bloom this week and possibly earlier than later in the week. It has reached the 6’1″ height mark and 2 of the 3 leaf looking structures at the base have dried up and fallen down. So we know we are progressing, but at slower rate than many of us can easily handle!!! We are all waiting as anxiously as everyone else to see what this plant will look like when the bud opens. Stay tuned!
It is a cool and cloudy Saturday
It is a cool and cloudy Saturday
Yesterday’s warmer and brighter weather made a difference in the growth curve for this plant!! There was an idea that maybe, just maybe, the upward growth had slowed down and we were going to see the outward growth pick up. Well, this mornings height measurement was 68″! That is 4 inches more than yesterday! For those of you that have not had the chance to stop in at the Conservatory yet, here is a comparison of the grower of this plant at 5’8″ with the actual size of the inflorescence and pot! Kinda cool!More red coloring than yesterday! BOB,too in the Parlor at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory this morning!If we had to guess on a bloom date……….maybe????? Monday? Tuesday? Watch that webcam!
There is a change coming…
There is a change coming…
64″ tall today and 36 3/4″ around the widest part of the bud! The upward growth is now slowing and the girth measurements are starting to increase. We are still on track for a bloom soon! How soon is still the question!There is more red/maroon coloring starting to show in the spathe.And the first fly to find it’s way to the Parlor has been noticed!! It is always amazing how the flies can find this plant! Do you think that this little guy knows something we don’t?? Still hoping to see a bloom some time early next week….
Quick glimpse into Roots, Shoots & Fruits courtesy of KARE 11.
Roots, Shoots & Fruits – The Incredible Edible Garden Opens June 17!
Roots, Shoots & Fruits – The Incredible Edible Garden Opens June 17!
Coming this summer is a new exhibit, the Incedible Edible Garden! The structure that used to house the butterflies last summer will now be filled with edible fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. There will be educational gardener talks everyday at 1:00 about the edible garden. The Edible Garden will also be staffed garden enthusiasts. There will be a wide variety of edible goodies; pumpkins, beans, watermelons, eggplants, corn, tomatoes, peppers, apple trees, lemons, blueberries, kumquats, pomegranates and the list goes on! There will be salsa hanging baskets that will have peppers, tomatoes, cilantro and chives and strawberry salad hanging baskets with strawberries, nasturtium and lettuce. On zoo grounds there will be large pots with edibles as well as the a planting in the wall of the birdyard. The Edible Garden will run from June 17th thru Labor Day.
Annual MN Bonsai show and Sunken Garden Summer show
Annual MN Bonsai show and Sunken Garden Summer show
The annual MN Bonsai Society show was Mothers’ Day weekend. Members brought in their trees for the two day display. The Bonsai Gallery is now open for the Ssummer with some of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory collection on display.The Summer Flower Show was installed in the Sunken Garden during the week of May 2nd- 6th.This show features Geraniums, Roses, Petunias, Gerbera Daisies, Alternanthera, Hydrangea and Hybrid Lilies.Every week we do some changes to the display as plants finish blooming or an area needs rejuvenating. The show runs from May 7th to October 2nd.
