The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

This past holiday weekend, I traveled to Minneapolis to see family I had not seen in way too many years.

One of those people was my 71 year old father who recently had a liver transplant. His surgery was about 3 months out and although he was doing well, he wasn't able to walk too far or for too long.

We decided that the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory was a good option for something to do that would also allow us to push dad in a wheel chair. A good balance of adventure and taking it easy for dad. Being inside was also a plus as the weather often threatened to rain.

A few of us visitors are nerdy plant people, so taking us to a huge glass house such as the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory is just the right thing to entertain us. Didn't hurt that Dad also loves flowers.

The conservatory occupies an acre under glass, with six indoor gardens and several outdoor gardens. The inside features a fern room, palm room, orchid house, a seasonal room and a few others. Please see the link to their web site for official information.

One thing I really enjoyed, was that most of the plants had plant identification tags.

It was also very easy to maneuver dad's wheel chair in and out. We even got dad to the Tea House in the Japanese garden. Thankfully my little brother is a Ragnar marathon runner, so he had no problems pushing dad all over.

I've forgotten which rooms some of the pictures were taken in, so the pictures are a little bit of a mishmash.

Huperzia goebelii (Blue Lycopodium)

Part of the Fern Room

 

Cibotium splendens (Hapu'u)

A gorgeous orchid "bug on a stick"

One of the rooms is The Sunken Garden, which is a seasonal showplace. The display changes with the seasons. This time, it was full of lilies and other fragrant plants in grays and purples.

Sunken Garden

Water lilies in the seasonal dome

Nut Cycad

Anguloa hohenlohii - the scent is of cloves and spice

Bromeliads

Palms in the 64' Palm Dome

Vanilla Orchid in flower

Acineta beyrodtiana

Heliconia bihai (Red Palulu)

Trimezia martinicensis (Yellow Walking Iris)

 

There is a lovely little Japanese garden and a collection of bonzai. Nagasaki, Japan is St. Paul's sister city.

"Beautiful Plum Pavilion"

Tea House