Missouri Botanical Gardens in the Winter

 

Explore Missouri Botanical Gardens

In St. Louis we have a beautiful botanical garden that has been in continuous operation since 1859.  It was founded by Henry Shaw and is one of the few gardens to achieve National Historic Landmark status.  I have spent many hours visiting the garden during the spring, summer, and fall times, but until this year, I had not visited it in the winter.  What a delightful experience!  In February my son and his family were visiting us from New Hampshire, and I took my daughter-in-law and two granddaughters to visit the gardens.  We had a wonderful time.  

Orchid Show

I had often seen photos of the annual orchid show but had never been to the garden to see it.  This show is held in February when the more than 5000 individual plants are moved from the greenhouses to the Emerson Conservatory.  The botanical garden has over 700 unique kinds of orchids, which are cared for year-round by the horticulture staff.  Here are a few of my favorite photos from the orchid show.

Growing Orchids at Home

In the brochure we received at the orchid show there is a section that talks about how easy orchids are to grow at home under the right conditions.  Here some key points.

• Potting medium  - many orchids grow best when their roots are exposed to the air.  There are mixes for the pot that help with this aeration.
• Temperature- most orchids are comfortable at room temperature- 60-80 F 
• Humidity- 40-70% is ideal, this can be achieved by placing pots on a gravel-lined try filled with water.
• Light- Orchids like a sunny room or artificial lights.  If leaves turn yellow or lanky they need more light.
• Water- Make sure potting mix nearly dries out before watering again.

I found this book on Amazon that helps you in growing orchids.

No Stress Orchid Gardening for Beginners

Chinese Garden

It was a beautiful day out, so after visiting the orchid show I took my granddaughters and daughter-in-law to some of my favorite spots in the garden.  There were not any flowers blooming at this time of the year but the beauty of the sculptures and structures around the park made for a delightful visit.

Our first stop was at the Chinese Garden, this garden was designed by Chinese born architect Yong Pan.  It is modeled after "scholars gardens" in the southern provinces of China.  

Here are some of the photos I took of my granddaughters exploring the garden.

Japanese Garden

A favorite place of mine to explore at the gardens is the Japanese Garden.  I wanted to show this to my granddaughters, so we took a stroll to the garden and walked around the lake to experience all of the sculptures and features of the Japanese Garden.  This 14-acre garden is called Seiw-en and was dedicated in 1977.  I have photographed it often through the years. Here are some of my photos.

The Garden through the Years

I have taken photography classes at the garden and have enjoyed my visits through the years.  Here are some other reviews I have written on the garden.

Japanese Garden

Missouri Botanical Garden

Origami in the Garden

Garden Photography Tips