Sunday, March 27, 2011

Conservatory at Golden Gate

We drove to San Francisco the other day to see paintings at the Legion of Honor. However, it unexpectedly stopped raining, and I persuaded my family to go to Golden Gate Park instead to look at their extensive plant collections.

A hibiscus inside the Conservatory
We parked right next to the rhododendron garden where the plants were just beginning to bloom.


After a stroll in the rhododendron garden, we went on to the Conservatory of Flowers. The Conservatory is a beautiful domed structure dating back to the 1870s when it was bought from a private estate and donated to Golden Gate Park.


It is the oldest glass and wood building in the US, recently opened after an 11-year, $25 million restoration project.

Aloes blooming at the foreground

The grounds around the Conservatory are very well landscaped, with a succulent collection to one side...

Aloes blooming orangey red and bluish spikes of agaves


... and large plantings of poppies and marigolds in front.

Here's looking at you!


For someone like me who grew up in a continental climate, the collection of tropical plants inside the Conservatory is truly jaw-dropping.


Unfortunately, plant identification was difficult. Often it was impossible to figure out which tag belongs to which plant, and sometimes tags were missing altogether. So if someone knows what the plant above is, let me know:).


The beautiful vine above is a clerodendrum. I know it because my mom grows it as a houseplant, and hers is probably one third the size of the Conservatory plant.... I can't believe how beautiful this one is, with perfect leaves and lots of flowers.


The plant above I am pretty sure is an anthurium. Anthuriums are a very diverse group of tropical epiphytes and terrestrial plants from Central and South America.

The Conservatory also houses an extensive collection of orchids, some of which are very rare, and some truly unusual plants (Dracula vampira anyone?). More to come.

P.S. I was told that the unidentified plant with spotted flowers might be gloxinia. If it is so, it is certainly the biggest specimen of it I have ever seen.

36 comments:

  1. Masha, I truly enjoyed looking at your great pictures of the conservatory in the Golden Gate Park and the surrounding landscapes. Brought back happy memories of my own visit there last year! I just have to agree with you the plant collection inside the conservatory is amazing. Thanks for the treat!
    Christina

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  2. Thank you, Christina. I didn't realize you have seen them before, but I should have known that an avid gardener like you wouldn't miss a conservatory:). I am glad I brought back good memories for you.

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  3. Thanks for sharing Masha! Beautiful! What a nice day out after your own disappointments at home. So sorry for you.

    The conservatory building looks a lot like one here in PA called Phipps. I adore visiting it and need to post about it sometime.

    Thanks, Julie

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  4. Thank you, Julie. We had a great time, it made me happy to be outside again and looking at beautiful flowers. I am looking forward to your post on Phipps.

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  5. What a beautiful building and and beautiful plants. The tropicals are normal fare in my state but still fascinating, but wow, that hibiscus looks like it was on fire. Amazing! Were your kids ooh-ing and aah-ing?

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  6. Thank you, Sherry, and don't think I don't envy you your tropicals and orchids. They are very exotic for me. My kids went from 50F outside to a hot steamy sauna inside and didn't like it one bit:(. Their only thought was to run back out and get an ice cream.

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  7. The Conservatory and surrounding gardens is one gorgeous and large piece of art. I love the Hibiscus; the effect is like that of a firework.

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  8. Thank you, Sweetbay, and yes, they are. I loved that hibiscus too, such fiery color and so huge.

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  9. Masha, Your photos are truly awesome. The red one is so stunning; the one that you couldn't figure out the name. Do you know that Hibiscus is our country's national flower? I'm in Malaysia and the red hibiscus is our national flower. Of course the orange one you showed is more beautiful but I think it could be a hybrid.

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  10. Thank you, One, and no, I didn't know that. The red hibiscus is beautiful, with the bright flowers looking so striking against the foliage. I am glad to have learned about your national flower.

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  11. Beautiful photos from the Conservatory. Thanks for sharing! I love the tropical plants such as hibiscus and anthuriums. What a fun trip for you!

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  12. what a gorgeous display of flowers and that conservatory....I love old buildings like that...harken us back to a simpler time...wow

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  13. Really glad you stopped at this conservatory. It is such a pretty structure. I did not realize it is the oldest wood and glass structure in the US. Your photos of the grounds and individual plants are really well done too. Gorgeous.

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  14. Just beautiful !Thank you, Masha !

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  15. Thank you for this wonderful little tour.

    FlowerLady

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  16. Beautiful! Funny, I've been to San Francisco many times, but I had no idea there was a conservatory in Golden Gate Park. I'll be sure to check it out next time I visit!

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  17. Hey wasn't that site used in a Dirty Harry movie?

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  18. Thank you, Priscilla, and yes, it was a lot of fun for me to see plants I have never seen before.

    Donna, thank you, I love old buildings too, although I am not sure about the time being simpler.

    Thank you, Greenapples, and I didn't know it either until I read their brochure. It is very impressive and beautiful. It is hard for me to imagine it being in someone's private garden.

    Thank you for stopping by, Dani!

    You are welcome, FlowerLady, I am glad to hear from you.

    Shannon, they only opened the Conservatory last year. I was very used to it being always closed and abandoned.

    Hi, Greggo, I have no idea, sorry.

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  19. Thank you, Phillip! I am glad you liked this post.

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  20. Szkoda, że to tak daleko od Polski, bo do tak ślicznego miejsca z przyjemnoscią bym poszła.
    Kwiatek, który oglądałeś u mnie to zawilec japoński. Pozdrawiam

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  21. Masha, the blooms to me on the mystery plant look somewhat like a Thunbergia varietal... except I have never seen one that color (they are usually sky blue or in the yellow/orange area). They are twining shrubby vines.

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  22. Whaqt a beautiful idea to convince everyone to visit a garden instead of paintings, by this beautiful weather...
    And this park looks gorgeous, Masha. I love green houses and the one you are showing is really admirable. I'm back from a week end in Bavaria & Osterreich (Salzburg), different climate, different lights, but really exciting too. I convinced my sister to take my nephew at the Munich Botanical Garden and see butterflys from Costa Rica : a great moment together !
    Talk to you soon.
    Gabriel

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  23. Giga, you are right, it is pretty far away from you, but traveling vicariously can be fun too. Maybe you will visit it one day. I enjoy looking at far-away places on your blog too.

    Jess, thanks for the tip, I will check it out, although it does look a lot of gloxinia to me.

    Gabriel, lucky you to do so much travel! I will checking your blog regularly for more pictures, they are always beautiful. Thank you for your compliments on my post.

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  24. Just spectacular pictures! I especially love the outdoor photo of flowering aloes and agaves - such wonderful composition of texture and hue!

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  25. Thank you, GardenSense, and I loved that garden too.

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  26. Waouh! Quelles couleurs ! On en prend plein les yeux ! Merci pour ce partage, amitiés florales !

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  27. What a gorgeous garden and the colourful array of flowers Masha. I love the white Conservatory Building, beautifully preserved from another time.

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  28. Hi. Poppies looking at me, yeah;-) this plant you didn't know- Mimulus sp. Beautiful trip.

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  29. Merci, Laurence, I am glad you liked the tour.

    Thank you, p3chandan, I loved the Conservatory too, and I am glad I finally got to go inside too.

    Thank you for the id, Megimoher, I will check it out.

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  30. I was at Golden Gate Conservatory a few years ago on a trip to California to visit a friend. Unfortunately the Conservatory was closed for the day we visited, so thank you for photo's of the plants inside!

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  31. You are welcome, Gwen. The Conservatory was closed for many years for restoration. Maybe you will visit again and see it.

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  32. Such beautiful tropical plants!
    I love seeing an aloes in bloom. Thank you, Masha !

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  33. Thanks for sharing these pictures. The gardens are beautiful, and the building is a work of art.

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  34. Thank you, Sandra and CCG! I am glad you liked these pictures - I will keep taking more:)

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  35. I think these are some amazing photos which I had ever seen. The conservatory is so big and well designed as per requirement. The flower plants are really awesome.

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I am so glad you have stopped by!