Garden of Glass and Whitaker Music Festival

Garden of Glass at the Missouri Botanical Garden, Thursday through Saturday nights from May 25 to Aug 12.

'THE MOTH ORCHID'

"The Garden has a long and proud history with orchids, with the first specimens given to Henry Shaw in 1876 by Mrs. Henry T. Blow. The collection grew slowly until 1923, when horticulturist George Pring returned from a collecting trip in Panama and Columbia with forty burrows - or some eight tons of orchids. Today, the Garden is home to more than 6,000 orchid plants and represents one of the largest and finest collections in the U.S." 

I was volunteering in the botanical garden for the Whitaker Music Festival.  

Wednesdays (only) from May 31 - Aug 2. Free admission, 5 - 9 p.m. Music starts at 7:30 p.m.

The Children's Garden remains open with free admission, 5 - 7 p.m.  

Don't miss those four Glass exhibits outside the Climatron.

The Garden of Glass display is in the fountain near the entrance to the Garden: 'THE MUSES'. 

"These nine dancing figures represent the nine muses of Greek mythology. The muses were the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who were created to give inspiration, knowledge, artistry and music to humanity..."

'MAKE A WISH'

"Make a Wish is about instilling a sense of wonder and optimism. When is the last time you stopped and thought of a dandelion as something beautiful instead of as a weed?..."

'ORANGE BLOSSOMS' in the Linnean House.

"...Orange Blossoms and a word-play on the flowers of orange trees, which are actually white."

Last Friday night, I invited a friend to see the Garden of Glass with Steve and me. 

We were there early, so the sky was still bright.  The colored lights on the glass was not that beautiful yet. I recommend going after it gets dark if you want it to be worth the ticket fee. 

When it is dark, you can see 'THE PHOENIX' eyes are blue. 

From my volunteer training manual: "The Phoenix is a mythical bird representing death and rebirth, much like the death and rebirth of plants each year..."   

  

'CUBANOLA DOMINGENSIS' 

"..the shape of these flowers is not their only engaging feature; their scent also inspires. They smell of warm chocolate! Do not be fooled; these flowers are not edible."

'TREE OF LIFE'

"Trees are the symbol of life for many cultures because of the habitats they create and life they support. They provide beauty, shade, clean air and water, food, medicines, and literally thousands of other products! Today, more than 10,000 species - about 17 percent of the world's total - are threatened with extinction, mostly because of habitat destruction or over harvesting. Garden experts work around the world to address threats to forest ecosystems. You can help! Care for mature trees. Be tree-wise. Recycle. Shop smart. Speak up for our trees."

  

'ST. LOUIS BLUES'

"The artist captures some of the culture and flavor of St. Louis' music, sport, and the iconic Gateway Arch. St Louis and the Garden are not only connected by locations, but also by the history and culture they share..."

'BROMELIADS'

"Epiphytic tank bromeliads grow non-parasitically on other plants. They accumulate considerable amounts of water in the 'tanks' formed by their overlapping leaf bases..."

'BLOOMING NIGHT CACTUS'

"... The blooms open between sunset and midnight and are closed by dawn."

 

'THE HELICONIA'

This is real Heliconia.

"...the Climatron stands seven stories tall and encloses one-half acre of tropical rain-forest plants, such as the Heliconia..."

There are still more photos I didn't post, so as not to spoil your visit.

Before exiting the exhibit, there are several short videos about the artist and how he made the pieces.