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Thursday, May 28, 2026

HYBYCOZO at Missouri Botanical Garden

In this review I will be reviewing my visit to the HYBYCOZO exhibit at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Missouri Botanical Garden has hosted works from some very talented artists over the years. This year from April through August they are home to works by HYBYCOZO. This exhibit called Patterns in Nature, allows you to explore 21 intricately designed installations throughout the garden.

In early May I visited the garden to photograph some of these beautiful works. I went during the daytime, and they were stunning among all the beautiful blooming flowers in May. The garden will also be open several evenings for special viewings of the sculptures called LightForm.

About the Artists

The following information on the artists were copied from the brochure handed out at the garden.

"Artists Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk began HYBCOZO in 2014, drawing inspiration from the inherent beauty found in mathematics, science, and natural phenomena.

Originally from Ukraine, Filipchuk attended the University of California, Berkeley and studied Conservation and Resource studies, concentrating on patterns in the natural world, biomimicry, and environmental science. Beaulieu attended Carleton University in his native Canada and studied Industrial Design.

Together, their large-scale geometric artworks push the boundaries of technology, lighting, and fabrication. HYBYCOZO has been featured in cities from San Francisco to London and from the galleries of the Smithsonian to the deserts of Burning Man. The artists created six new custom pieces for St. Louis, inspired by the living collections and conservation mission of the Garden."

My Photographs of the HYBYCOZO Works

The sculptures were all so very different and with the theme of Patterns in Nature they all worked so well into the garden. Here are a few of my favorites.

Here is the sculpture that is at the entrance to the gardens.

This photograph was taken by reaching into one of the works and photographing the tops of the sculpture from the inside.

I love how this one sits between the columns.

These bright pink sculptures sit in the reflecting pool in front of the Climatron.

There are several sculptures in the gardens that are reflective. They mirror the surrounding garden features.

The Iris were in Bloom

One of my favorite flowers to photograph at the Gardens are their beautiful Iris. They have a huge area with lots of Iris in a multitude of colors. They were in full bloom when we visited so I was able to take lots of photos. Here are a few of them.

Many if my photographs are sold on Zazzle. Here is a link to one of my Iris cards.

Iris Delight Card

More Reviews of Missouri Botanical Garden

I have written several reviews on Missouri Botanical Garden over the years. Here are links to a view of those reviews.

Missouri Botanical Garden in the Winter

Japanese Garden

Review of Missouri Botanical Garden

Origami in the Garden

Garden Photography Tips

Learn More about Missouri Botanical Garden

If you would like to learn more about the garden, here is an Amazon book that you will find interesting and informative. Missouri Botanical Garden

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Thursday, March 12, 2026

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

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Thursday, July 25, 2024

Japanese Garden-Missouri Botanical Garden

When I visit the Missouri Botanical Gardens, the area I always gravitate to is the Japanese Gardens. In this post, I will be reviewing my last visit to the gardens and sharing the photos that I took of this beautiful, serene garden. The scene above shows the Japanese Bridge as it goes over to Teahouse Island. It is what you see as you enter the path the goes around the lake in the garden.

The garden at St. Louis is considered to be the largest Japanese strolling garden in the country. It covers 14 acres in the Missouri Botanical Garden.

My Visit to the Japanese Garden

I visited the garden on a beautiful day in early July. My sister and I took the tram from the entrance of the botanical garden and got off on the stop for the Japanese Garden. From there we took the path to stroll around the large lake and enjoy the serenity of the afternoon. I stopped to photograph many of the historic lanterns that were found around the path. One near the entrance was from the World's Fair in St. Louis in 1904. It is the first one in the photos below. Others were gifts from various cities in Japan. You can find out more about them at the link I list at the bottom of the page. Here are a few photos of the different lanterns.

The lanterns were placed within the beauty of the garden and add to the peaceful setting.

The garden also has some wonderful waterfalls that give you a peaceful feeling. The one below is one that I have photographed often in the past. The foliage around it gives it different feels, depending on the time of year you visit.

An interesting feature of the garden is a bench in the shape of a flower. It is an Anemome and is the favorite flower of Courtney Bean Obeta, a St. Louis artist. It was designed in her memory.

Another interesting bridge is this crooked bridge that goes out into the water. It is a favorite for children (and adults) to walk.

I hope you have enjoyed my pictorial review of my visit to the Japanese Garden in St. Louis. To learn more here is an Amazon book you might like. https://amzn.to/4cscM3v .

I have written other reviews on the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Here are some links to my reviews.

https://www.reviewthisreviews.com/2023/10/review-of-missouri-botanical-garden.html

Review of Origami in the Garden (reviewthisreviews.com)

I invite you to read more about this beautiful garden at the Missouri Botanical website on the Japanese garden page. Japanese Garden

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Thursday, October 26, 2023

Review of Missouri Botanical Garden

Water Lily and Reflection

Missouri Botanical Garden in South St Louis is a wonderful place to discover nature and so much more. The garden was founded in 1859 by Henry Shaw on his country estate. Today it is a National Historic Landmark and is considered to be one of the top 3 botanical gardens in the world.

Some highlights to see and do when you visit the garden include:

Climatron- a geodesic dome that is used as a conservatory.
The Doris L Schnuck Children's Garden- this area is a delight for children and I have spent many hours there with my granddaughters when they were visiting.
Japanese Garden- this beautiful area is one of my favorite spots to stroll in the garden.
Chinese Garden- another favorite spot of mine in the garden.
Tower Grove House
William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening

These are but a few of the many interesting highlights in the garden. The garden is also the host to many festivals and special events. I recently toured the garden on a special night they had for photographers to photograph the Chihuly works of art that were featured in the garden from May through October.

Chihuly Exhibit

Dale Chihuly is a world-renowned artist who does amazing works with glass. In his works in the Missouri Botanical Garden art and nature are united in a fantastic exhibition.

I spent several hours at the exhibit in mid-September where I entered the garden at about 6 pm when it was still daylight and stayed for several hours so that I could also capture the beauty of the Chihuly art lit up in the night. Here are a few of the photographs that I took. The first one shows the first Chihuly art I saw when entering the garden.

Chihuly-Vivid Lime Icicle

The next three photos show a beautiful red and yellow tower that I photographed first in the daylight, then closeup and finally a nighttime shot with the crescent moon above it.

Chihuly Tower in Daylight

Closeup of Chihuly Tower

Chihuly Art at Missouri Botanical Garden

Chihuly Tower at Night

The next photo was taken at night in the lake by the Japanese garden.

Float Boat and Niijima Floats

Here are three more of photos from the exhibit.

Boat with Chihuly Art in Reflecting Pool

Turquoise Martins in Chinese Garden

White Tower in Blanke Boxwood Garden

These are just a few of the many Chihuly works of art throughout the garden. It was truly an inspiring experience.

Water Lilies in the Garden

Along with the Chihuly works I was able to enjoy the flowers in the garden when we first entered in the daylight. My favorite flowers that were blooming in mid-September were the beautiful water-lilies. They were in several pools within the garden. The ones I liked the best were the ones that I photographed in the reflecting pools in the central axis area of the garden. My favorite is the purple one in the opening photo for this article. The light was fading and it really made the reflections of the flowers stand out. Here are a few more of my favorites.