Ahhhhhh, Spring is in the air!  Tree’s are busting out of their buds and flowers are popping up everywhere!

If you love flowers and appreciate the beauty of nature –  here are some MUST SEE Conservatories around the country:

Franklin Park Conservatory – Columbus Ohio.

Built in 1895, Franklin
Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a botanical landmark two
miles east of downtown Columbus. It is a premier horticultural and
educational institution showcasing exotic plant collections, special
exhibitions, and a signature collection of work by glass artist Dale
Chihuly.

Set within the 88 acres of Franklin Park, the Conservatory houses 400
species of plants from a variety of global climate zones and features a
Victorian Palm House with more than 40 species of palms. It is
surrounded by botanical gardens and floral displays.

RIGHT NOW you can see  – 

Blooms & Butterflies: Now on view
Central Ohio’s iconic sign of spring returns! Get an up-close view
as hundreds of newly emerged butterflies are released into the Pacific
Island Water Gardens— a tropical haven where exotic butterflies of all
sizes and colors fly freely and feed on nectar from colorful blooms.
Learn about the fascinating life cycle and ecological importance of
these amazing insects during daily educational presentations and related
activities.

Orchids! Vibrant Victoriana
Awaken your senses on a dreary winter day and take a stroll
through a warm Victorian garden. Hundreds of orchids of all forms,
colors and sizes are artfully displayed in the Dorothy M. Davis
Showhouse. Explore the Victorian collectors’ fascination with the exotic
species through displays emphasizing the form, color and pattern of
individual blooms. Learn more about orchids in these special programs.

Cocktails @ the Conservatory

Spice up your humdrum work week with an evening visit to the
Conservatory. Stroll through warm, tropical plant collections and view
current exhibitions while enjoying live music, specialty cocktails, and
delicious appetizers. Reserve a table for your friends and colleagues!
Call 614.645.1800 for more information.

Thursdays, 5:30 – 10pm         21 and over
Full bar, featured cocktails, small plate menu
$11 admission, in return each guest receives $10 in tokens that can be used toward the purchase of food and drinks.

*It’s also the 200th Bicentennial Anniversary for Columbus this year!  Lots going on!  A great time to visit!

Read more about Gay Columbus and see they  have been voted a hot new LGBT destination!

  Golden Gate Park- San Francisco CA.

The largest and best known park in San Francisco is the
1,017 acre (411 ha) Golden Gate Park. Its history goes back to
1870 when the site was an area of wild sand dunes. At
the time, the area, known as ‘outside lands’, was well
outside the city’s developed limits.

The
main attractions of the park are located at the eastern
side. Here you find the Conservatory of Flowers as well as the
Japanese Tea garden and the adjacent M.H. De Young Museum.

The Conservatory of Flowers, a Victorian-style
greenhouse is modeled after the Palm house at the Kew
Gardens in London. It was
built between 1876 and 1883 and houses a collection
of tropical plants and flowers.

The M.H. De Young Museum has its origins in the
1894 Midwinter International expo. The Fine arts Museum,
temporarily built for the expo, was so successful that it was decided
to establish a permanent museum. The museum has a very
diverse collection, including paintings from the Laurence
Rockefeller collection.

Chicago, IL  –  There are actually 3 great gardens and conservatories in Chicago.

Lincoln Park Conservatory, 2391 N. Stockton Dr., located in the heart of the city and  connected to the Lincoln Park Zoo – Step inside and be transported to another place and time!  Take a journey to the Lincoln Park Conservatory where you will find
tropical palms and ancient ferns right in the heart of Lincoln Park.
Designed both to showcase exotic plants and grow the thousands of plants
needed for use in the parks, the Conservatory offers visitors a
tropical experience within its four display houses: Palm House, Fern
Room, Orchid House and Show House, which is home to the annual flower
shows. This historic facility continues to provide an escape to nature
to the millions that live in and visit Chicago. No matter the time of
year, Lincoln Park Conservatory is always green and lush. Come take a
stroll and let yourself be transported away. Admission is free.

Chicago Botanic Garden –  is located just outside the city limits. Take a walk and discover early spring trees and shrubs in bloom,
including Joel bush cherry and Appalachian Red redbud, as well as
Autumn flowering cherry. Joining the host of narcissus and early tulips
in bloom are Lenten roses and Virginia bluebells. 

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Garden! Today, 2.5
million plants, 24 display gardens, and four natural areas thrive here.
Visit our anniversary website to view Garden milestones since the 1972 opening.

Located  at  1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022  •  (847) 835-5440
Admission is free – However, it costs  $20 to park.

Garfield Conservatory is just west of the city a mile or so. Visit one of the nation’s premier conservatories — six
multi-faceted greenhouses and two grand exhibition halls.

The Garfield Park Conservatory sustained catastrophic damage in the June
30,
2011 hailstorm, shattering approximately half of the glass panes
in the roofs of the historic Fern Room, Show House, and
ten propagation greenhouses. The glass panes in the Desert House
also sustained significant damage. The pathways, ponds and plants in
the Fern Room, Show House, Desert House and propagation houses are
covered with broken glass, and shards of glass hang dangerously from the
roofs. Until the roofs are repaired, rain will cause the ponds to
overflow, and direct sunlight will destroy and kill the plants that have
been so carefully and lovingly conserved for so many years. – It is still open to the public and the rebuilding continues.

The
Garfield Park Conservatory is open every day of the year. Located at 300 N. Central Park Ave., 10 minutes west of
downtown Chicago and easily accessible by automobile or
public transportation.