DIY Pallet Container Garden - Large Version

Pallet Container Garden

A few weeks ago I posted about a DIY container garden I made from a pallet.  Then just a few weeks later I was at the Garfield Park Conservatory and saw this very large option, up-cycled pallets,  in their vegetable garden.  

Please do not attempt to put this design on a porch! This must weight a ton. Especially after the rain or a good watering. 

That said, if my yard had extremely poor soil, or I was growing a root crop, this would be in my yard most certainly!

Same basic considerations are used create this architectural element for the garden as in my smaller version. 

Grand Reopening - Desert House at Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago

I've previously reported on damage and closure to Chicago's historic Garfield Park Conservatory, designed by Jens Jensen over 108 years ago. Several portions of the conservatory were repaired relatively immediately while other updates were done over time. This month (April 2015) the conservatory celebrated it's grand reopening. 

One of my favorite spots in the Conservatory is the Desert house. Here there used to be many pencil cactus and ponytail palms. Tucked in-between these tall succulents were some very unusual and rare plants.  When I give tours of the site, this room is always one where people want to linger and get closer to the "non-native" plants. It's also where children want to touch but parents are nervous!

Garfield Park Conservatory
Desert House - 2009

Garfield Park Conservatory
Desert House - 2009

So it was with much anticipation that I visited to see the renewed Desert House!  At first I was startled by how much more open the room seems - without the pencil tree that used to anchor the north side (all the way up to the ceiling) and with one of the large cactus severely cut back, the room is so much brighter!  There are also a wider variety of cactus and succulents as a result. Many plants which were previously maintained in the back-greenhouses and put on display at the reception desk, are now in the collection.  Plus the plants are spread out more - enabling viewing of each item more fully. This also makes it feel more desert-ish :)

Spring Flower Show - Garfield Park Conservatory

For the Love of Tulips
Spring Showing in my Yard

Today I visited the Spring Flower show, entitled Sun Showers, at the Garfield Park Conservatory.  I look forward to spring flower and garden shows to get my creative fix. I also start thinking about the ephemeral and bulbs that will be breaking through in my own yard.  Plus it's just so great to get into a warm space that is bursting with color and fragrance! 

At Garfield Park Conservatory flower shows - one display house, the show house, is taken over by the display items. At times the explosion of flowers also spills over into Horticulture Hall and the lobby. This show was no exception. 

Please  enjoy the photos.  I'm not sure the colors are 100% true, but here are the shots of my favorites :)

Historic Fern Room Construction Update - Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory

The historic Fern Room at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory is undergoing repairs and

Historic Fern Room At Garfield Park Conservatory

renovations after the 100+ year old roof was destroyed by Hail in July 2011.  While the room was open after a temporary (plastic) roof was in place, only recently was the roof returned back to glass.
Currently (Fall 2014) the Fern room is undergoing redesign and replanting. The stone walls, originally placed by Jens Jensen, are all easily visible now as moss and liverwort have died back or been pulled away.  The new design for the Fern Room will have more cycads and a wider diversity of ferns. It will also have no philodendrons climbing up the pillars.  This will create a very different feeling!

Here is a photo of the Fern room from before the hails storm and then immediately afterwards.  The removal of the glass from all the beds took lots of time. The process of restoring this historic room at the Garfield Park Conservatory has been ongoing for years. You can see my other posts about this wonderful place and the renovations.

Creatures of the Night - Halloween @ Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory

Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory hosts an special Halloween themed evening called Creatures of the Night each October.  The event showcases nocturnal animals in the Conservatory's living collection.  It is a unique opportunity for kids of all ages to get up close and personal with some very interesting creatures!  The range of animals has included fruit bat, owls, spiders, wolves, big snakes, cockroaches, even a raccoon and more creepy crawlers. 

Creatures of the Night, Chicago, 2014

I took my children when they were much younger - in the 5-12 year old range. They had a blast and it really supplemented their classroom learning.  Not only did they get to touch the animals and observe them up close, but also ask the handlers questions about what the animals eat, how they behave and more. My kids, now driving and on their own, continue to go to the event with their friends. It's an unexpected tradition in our family now.

Kids and adults come in costume. There are treats to enjoy and often music. It's an experience not to be missed (and well worth the small donation requested.)

Carnivorous Plants - Fun "interactive" display

The Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago currently has a plant bog full of carnivorous plants. It was very fun to not only see the plants - but to really watch them at work. It only takes a few moments to see flies swarm and crawl into these beautiful flowers - never to return. 

Carnivorous plants in Chicago

Carnivorous plants derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming insects. Carnivorous plants grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic bogs and rock outcroppings. Thus their adaptation to consume insects for nutrients.  Charles Darwin wrote the first comprehensive book on carnivorous plants in 1875 - Insectivorous Plants, the first well-known treatise on carnivorous plants, in 1875! This is about the same time that plans for the park, gardens, and first conservatory in now Garfield Park in Chicago were forming. 

The conservatory recreated a bog in a shady area in a nice elevated bed. The display does a nice job of sharing different trapping mechanisms - and placement makes it so easy to see.  There is also a nice range of various "fly catching" techniques."

I did see a sign that said do not touch, but I didn't see a sign that said "no feeding the plants!"

Urban Vegetable Gardening - Grow Your Own

What do you need to grow your own vegetables - space, soil, water, light. Sometimes that can be a challenge in the middle of a city. A few solutions are container gardening (see prior posts and links here) as then there are raised beds. If you have any trepidation about what may be in your soil or the composition of your soil - there are steps you can take to get in the right direction. These include "lasagna gardening", "raised bed gardening", and "vertical gardening."

Let's explore these last options - and I'll use photos taken June 2014 at the Garfield Park Conservatory and prior blogs to illustrate.  The outdoor Urban Demonstration Garden at the conservatory is a purposeful example of an Urban Vegetable Garden.

Panorama of Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory, Urban Demonstration Garden June 2014

Fern Spore Patterns - Sori, sporangia arrangement

I call them spores but that's not right. Scientists would use the word sorus (pl. sori) which is a cluster of sporangia, which produce and contain spores in ferns and fungi. Spores of ferns are very small (perhaps 50 microns in diameter) so we don't see the spores per se - we see the sori (clusters). Sori form a yellowish or brownish mass on the edge or underside of a fertile frond.  Different ferns have different sorus patterns, the shape, arrangement, and location of sori are used in the identification of fern taxa.  It's also just darn fun to see all the different pattern - which I share here.

Sori may present themselves as a circular or linear form. The sori circles or lines may be arranged in neat rows, parallel or oblique to each other, or  be random. Their location may be at the edge of the frond or set away on the frond blade (flat portion) usually on the bottom side. Sometimes the sori is wrapped in a protective layer which impacts its color and texture.

Behind the scenes at Garfield Park Conservatory - Spring 2013

This spring I had the opportunity to peek behind the scenes at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago. The conservatory is over 100 years old - and the buildings behind it, on the Northside, are almost as old.  In the photo below you can see the conservatory (square shape with the (A) marked on it), the production greenhouses just north, and then just north again, in the blue box, are these working buildings.



Garfield Park Conservatory Grounds - Aerial View

The West Park System was the part of Chicago politic responsible for the conservatory.  This was before the formation of the Chicago Park District.  When the smaller conservatories in Douglas Park, Humboldt Park and Garfield Park were taken down a key element in the decision on where to place the larger "Jensen Conservatory" was the existence of the Power Plant building in Garfield Park.  The Power Plant is the eastern most building in this space.  It's got this great brickwork and high windows. Really pretty. It was constructed in 1896. That's some old architecture :)

In 1928, the West Park System built the "works" building adjacent to the Power Plant. Today it is used by the Chicago Park district for various trades.  The trade building was designed by Michaelsen and Rognstad, so it's affectionately called the M&R building.

Below are a few photos of a quick exploration of these old buildings.  The last two photos are from inside the M&R building looking back onto the Conservatory.  It was a really fun day and an interesting perspective that I'd never before experienced.  One portion of the works building houses the shop that makes signs for the Chicago Park District, that was pretty interesting. There is also a carpentry workroom - that smelled just amazing.

I kept thinking these would make great loft offices or apartment spaces. Or perhaps an awesome party venue?

I enjoy the rich history of Chicago and the Conservatory. Always something old to learn :)

Power Plant and M&R Building Garfield Park - 2013

Garfield Park Conservatory - Back Yard, 2013

 

View from M&R Bldg over back of Garfield Park Conservatory, 2013

View out of Woodshop window

Happy Exploring,

Teresa Marie

Start Thinking Spring - Shows, Events, Road-trips

This weekend the first spring flower show starts in Chicago, thus kicking of several months of events that culminate in the beginning of spring and ethnic fest etc. in Chicago. 

As I did last year, here is a listing of events from Iowa - Wisconsin - Illinois - Michigan. I was searching out potential weekend adventures and road-trips and thought I might share with you all. Maybe provide some ideas, or just save you some time on your own searching.  All links and information was accurate as of 1/24/2013  If you find other shows or errors herein please note in comments! Thank you

Transparent tips on Succulent

Succulent Container Garden

(Succulent pictures just because I think they are so pretty and I spend too much time with them this time of year :)  )

• Chicago - Lincoln Park Conservatory Spring Flower Show - January 26 - May 12

Update on Garfield Park Conservatory Rebuilding 2013

What is going on with rebuilding Garfield Park Conservatory you ask?  I provided to updates on the status of Garfield Park Conservatory Hail Storm Damage in July 2011 and the subsequent capital campaign.  So where do things stand now. 

DISPLAY HOUSE STATUS AS ON 1/21/2013 - temporary panes in place and all rooms open to the public.  The photos here were taken from a tour on 1/20/2013. (Take the tour people, it's awesome!)

All the broken glass was removed, and the panes of glass damaged in the display houses were replaced  with temporary poly-carbonate sheeting.  This temporary roof is able to keep the plants protected from cold/rain and keep the environment inside the rooms steady. A great place to observe this is at the entrance to the Show House. Stand in the entryway from the Palm house and look up at the roof in the Show House and at the roof in the Palm House - you will see the difference.  The temporary poly-carbonate pane has lines in it, glass is clear (or dirty!).  Once you notice this difference, check out the roof in the Desert House. Here not all the panes of glass were broken and you can spot all the temporary ones one you know this trick. 

The light coming in through the poly-carbonate is not as high as that through the glass.  So winter pruning (done every year because of reduced sun) seems even sharper this year.  

Fern Room, Garfield Park Conservatory
Jan 2013

Sugar From The Sun Exhibit,
Cavendish Banana; Jan 2013

Extensive construction to recreate the permanent roofs in the public display houses should start this year (2013).  This will have to take place after the danger of frost in spring and fall. Global warming yes, but not enough to leave the collection at the Conservatory open to Chicago weather!  Most likely the Fern room, Aroid House, Show House, and Desert House will all be closed during the construction. The website will hopefully have a schedule and notice of what rooms as open when. 

Garfield Park Conservatory, Propagation
Greenhouse, Jan 2013

BACK OF HOUSE STATUS AS OF 1/21/2013 - back up and running.

While most people visit the 2.5 acres of display houses at the Conservatory, there are more acres under glass in the back-of-house. These are the propagation greenhouses which support research and development of the collection as well as plants for display. 

The damaged propagation greenhouses were repaired during the summer of 2012.  Here is a photo of the cactus propagation house with many of the plants which were recently sold. 

Volunteers will shortly begin growing plants and seedlings for sale in Spring 2013, and other plants for sale in the gift shop all year round. 




The conservatory continues to solicit donations for the One-Pane-At-A-Time capital campaign.  Also consider becoming a member (more events are member only, or member early, I love the reciprocal membership at other botanic gardens and parks), or just pitching a few bucks into the box when you visit. Everything appreciated. 

Singing the Watersong...

Teresa Marie

Wilting Sansevierius - Causes and Cures

My Wilting Mother-in-Law Tongue Plant

Help I’m Wilting and I can’t get up….…this was the cry from my snake plant ( good luck plant, mother-in-law's-tongue,  devil's tongue, Sansevieria).   I have had this plant for several years. I had just pulled it inside from a glorious summer al fresco, and split it into two large pots.  It seemed fine for a few months. Then it started wilting, and a wilting houseplant is a cry for help. 

Sansevieria is a strong plant, it’s in office spaces and given to people who can kill just about anything else. So I was perplexed as to what was going on and consulted every source I could find on-line and a solution.  Here is what I learned:

1) Know what “healthy” looks like for your plant
2) Know what about your situation is unique. Take into consideration the environment that your plant is in (Potting soil, container size, lighting, heat, drafts.
3) Understand the causes of wilting for the plant in question
4) Experiment and learn to listen to what your plant is telling you – what other people tell you to do may not work for you.

A Healthy Sansevieria

There are many different varieties of Sansevieria. In a walk through the garden center and Garfield Park Conservatory I snapped several shots which are included here.  Almost all the plants display the characteristic tall and erect form. Snake plant leaves may be striped or marbled pattern, vibrant to dull green, or yellow and white.  I think I even saw a chartreuse one once.  The color of the plant may impact the amount of light it needs. I have some placed against interior north walls with very little indirect light. I have others in east facing windows with plenty of sun.  I've had snake plants thrive in areas which offer full sun to dense shade; most grow best in persistent indirect light.   I plant most in cactus mix but occasionally will use regular potting soil. Once I even planted in a container in regular garden soil (not advised.)  The latter was a demonstration of what not to do – but that darn Sansevieria survived for over two years in rock hard soil.  In the conservatory we had one Sansevieria that was placed under a hole in the roof, and it was constantly water logged for several months. It was just fine.  Thus it’s safe to say snake plants will survive poor soil conditions, at least for a period of time. However if optimum soil and light and water conditions do not exist, in time, you may experience pests, root rot, or the dreaded wilt.

In the photographs below are several different types of Sansevieria. The photos were taken at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory Desert Room. 

Mother-In Law, Baseball, Moonshine, Variegated, and Longhorn Sansevieria (Snake Plants)

My Unique Situation

Here is where I admit all the things that I had done with these sansevieria that were not up to par.  First off I had them outside in all kinds of rain – that seemed fine, and at the end of the summer I decided to divide them when I brought them back inside.   This was the first problem – I replanted them to shallow and without  sufficient support considering the mature height of these plants.  There was an immediate hit to their health – which I chalked up to being re-potted   I later tried to add some support and tied them up, but a large number of leaves were already wilting and folded off to the side.

During transplantation I was able to see that the roots were in solid condition and there were wet areas of neither dying plant tissue nor fungal growths.  There were also not any insects or infestations. I had good soil mix and balance of fertilizer – so these were on the plus side.

Secondly,  I did not use the right container. The pot for the Sansevieria is way too large for the number of plants it holds. It is also much too deep. However, for the room it is in, I like the larger base pot – which also helps to keep it from tipping over from the dog. Plus I just loved the blue. This was an aesthetic decision, not one for the plants health.  With an over-sized container the plant might get too much water and have root rot – or not enough if the roots are shallow (as with some succulents.)

Lastly with respect to light – they are placed in a west facing window with a few good hours of direct sunlight each (non-gray) day. Good filtered light.  There was no discoloration of the leaves, e.g. yellowing, which would indicate excessive sunlight. So I felt comfortable with the lighting situation on this pair of containers.  Note that the containers are in the bay window, directly above the heat vent.

The causes of Sansevieria Wilting

My research says thee possible reasons for wilting leaves on a Sansevieria plant are:

1) Over or under watering

2) Improper lighting (too little makes them flip over)

3) Infestation (such as thrips)

My Experimentation

I quickly rules out lighting and thrips- and moved onto experimenting with watering.  I found it very interesting that both over-watering and under-watering could make the leaves droop, bend, wilt or begin to look wrinkly. 

OVER-WATERING: Over-watering is the most common problem for houseplants, so why not develop root rot easily, especially in containers. If you  suspected root rot you can check to see if the soil is moist or wet on the surface and down a few inches. Also pull gently on one of the outer leaves and it comes off easily at the soil level, and the root stinks and is mushy; then sorry, it's got root rot. Best solution here is to throw the rotten parts away – and repot what remains in the new soil.

Up until this point I had been watering the plants every other day when they were outside, and when they came inside I was watering them every third or fourth day. To which my friends cried “What? That’s too much!” I did not have root rot, but I cut it back to the once a week or less per recommendations from garden centers and websites. This went on for several months – and I did not see any improvement in the plants. Upon checking the soil with my hands, I knew that it was dry for several inches into the pot. This convinced me that less water was not the issue.

UNDER-WATERING - Then I realized that several factors were dictating that my Sansevieria needed more water than usual.  First off the pots are too big, and the soil mix promotes drainage – so the water quickly hits the bottom and doesn't stick around much for the plants. Secondly, the containers are right by the heat vent which will accelerate the need for water. Lastly they are in a good light area, which could also mean more water.

So, I went the other way and started watering every four days, and then every two days. Watering means 3-4 cups of water each time, not a complete soaking.

While there are still some bent leaves, there is not solid new growth and vibrant color back in the plants. I’m so happy that they lasted through all these trials and told me when they were happy. I regularly check the soil to a depth of 2-4” to make sure I’m not watering too much, and I apply cactus fertilizer every other week. (If the tips of the leaves turn brown – that’s too much fertilizer) I also rotate the plants and make sure to prop up some of the leaves against the glass – they top 3 ft tall, so I think they have earned a little support ;)

Like many succulents, Sansevieria grow very slowly – it may take time to know if something is wrong or if you fixed it. You may need to play with light exposure and watering to get your plant healthy.

So my parting shot for today is of the Zulu Sansevieria. I love how wide and tall the leaves are. There is just a hint of red along the edges of the leaves. In the pot on the right, I can just hear it asking me to repot it and take part home :)

Zulu Sansevieria

All the best;

Teresa Marie

World's Best Botanic Gardens

I'm making my Botanic Garden bucket list - this article on Huffington Post caught my eye.
Here's a list of 10 great botanic gardens around the world.

Naturally I am THRILLED that the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago, IL USA is on the list. I just adore this place --- and if you ever want to go, email me and I'm happy to arrange a behind the scenes tour for you!!!

The Gardens By The Bay - a new conservatory opening in Singapore looks simply amazing. From design to programs to just scale!

So many places to see. For now, I'm going back outside to toil in my own backyard (I sound like Dorothy from Wizard of Oz!)

Teresa Marie

Fern Room Open - Must See It Now (Garfield Park Conservatory)

This past weekend I had the opportunity to walk through the Fern Room at Garfield Park Conservatory.  This was the first weekend it has been opened since the hail damage this summer.

You have to go see it.  It is a totally new experience and perspective on the original design and intent. These pictures below are the waterfall - newly visible are several streams and additional "falls."




Fern Room, Garfield Park Conservatory Dec 2011



Fern Room, Garfield Park Conservatory, Dec 2011























The park district is using this opportunity to refresh the plantings with more unique ferns and period items.  Also to add much needed nutrients and adjuvents to the soil In several areas the plantings have been removed - and it's under design. However, don't take that as a negative as if there is nothing to see!

Since the plants have been reduced - what you can now see and appreciate are several rock outcroppings and structural elements from the original installation by Jens Jensen.  I have walked the Fern Room literally hundreds of times, and I was so surprised by the landscape architecture I saw for the first time.  It really gave me a feeling of being there in 1907! Amazing!

The floriculturist told me that within the next six months the flora will once again have flourished. Plus I think that by next spring construction may start anew on the permanent roof for the Fern Room. All that means is that you have a few months to get in there.

Sign up for a tour - maybe I'll be your guide! Or email me and I'll let you know that dates I'm next there.

Singing Christmas Carols!

Teresa Marie

Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory Public Tours - Whoo Hoo!



Garfield Park Conservatory - Oct 2011

It is exciting that Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory is now Offering Guided Tours! I'm one of the Garfield Park Conservatory Guides and did my master gardener training and volunteering there -so I'm happy to show you around. Lots of interesting plant facts, and historical information and just fun!  Each of the tour guides brings their own unique energy and spirit! 

There are three tour options;

1) Behind-the-Scenes (Adults only) - see the propagation houses, works

2) Tropical Treat - (all ages)

3) Conversatory Highlights - General Tour.

Check out the website for more information and click the "Tour Registration for Visitors" button to purchase your tour tickets online.

I'm giving a tour this Sunday!

Hope to see you there - Touring with Teresa!

Humming to myself today :)

One Pane at a Time - Garfield Park Conservatory Update

The other night I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at the Garfield Park Conservatory.  This was part of the launch of the One Pane at a Time campaign to raise funds to recover from the summer hailstorm severely damaged the Garfield Park Conservatory's glass-paned roof.  The resulting damage to the conservatory exhibition halls and propagation greenhouses will take years, many hours and many dollars to fix.


Here are a few shots of the interior as of September, 2011.

Prop house 1 - ~2009

Prop House 1 - Sept 2011

Above are two photos of Propagation House 1.  One the left you can see what this looks like today.  The house is closed until all the glass can be removed and the roof rebuilt.  There is a protective ceiling down the main walkway to allow people to pass through.  If one goes outside this path they need to wear hard hats and protective wear to guard against falling glass.  One the right is the exact same Propagation house in 2009 when I first started volunteering at Garfield Park Conservatory.  There are now few places for propagation and storage of plants.   





Garfield Conservatory Show House - Sep 2011



Garfield Conservatory Show House - Sep 2011



We walked through the Show House.  I recalled that the first room open to the public when the Conservatory first opened.  So much history here.  Even though I know that it had been rebuilt before, it was still shocking to see that it had been cleared - to remove the broken roof and also the broken glass from the floor / plant beds.  Only a few of the larger trees were not removed.  In the pictures below you can see in the photo on the left - the temporary roof that is across the fern room (out the window the building in the back is the roof of the fern room.)  In the photo on the right, you can see how they have removed most plants.



We also passed along through the construction zome to the historic fern room.  With the temporary roof in place and all the glass removed from the beds, the plants were starting to come back.  They did suffer from sun damage, over handling (walking on the mosses and the shop vac to remove glass) - but plants are resilient!  The pond had been drained to be cleaned and at the time of our viewing had not been filled. It wouldn't surprise me if the space is used to store shade loving plants for the winter.



Garfield Park Consevatory Show House Dec 2009



I put to the side here a photo of the show house during the Holiday Show last year.  The Conservatory will still be having a large display of Poinsettias this year and other colorful holiday plants.  This will be displayed around the conservatory as the show house will still be closed.

Thanks for reading this update. Please pass along the word about the One-Pane-at-a-time Campaign.  Individuals are being asked to buy a glass pane to rebuild the conservatory's roof. (or get your employer excited to contribute - email to ask how!)

Donations can be made at www.garfieldconservatory.org/one_pane_at_a_time.htm

Today I'm singing various opera arias - so excited for lyric season to be starting soon.

Teresa Marie

Garfield Conservatory Devastated - Needs your help!

As many of you know I am a passionate supporter of the Garfield Park Conservatory, a historic landmark and pillar to landscape architecture in Chicago.   What you may not know is that this past week, the conservatory sustained significant damage to the oldest parts of the structure and is closed until further notice.  



Photo from Garfield Park Conservatory Website

I’ve talked with many of the staff and personally share their shock and sense of helplessness.  There is damage to over 60% of the glass roof.  The oldest parts of the conservatory, which had never been upgraded to tempered glass, were hardest hit including the Fern Room, the Show House, and the desert house.  All the propagation greenhouses were impacted as you can clearly see on the video on Fox news with aerial footage. 

While it’s helpful that the temperatures are not too cold so the collections won’t freeze, there are significant challenges. In several rooms the sun may burn and damage plants.   All the water from the rain which will now get into the conservatory  is also likely to overflow the ponds and create additional pest and plant cultivation problems.  Also with restrictions on staff and volunteer access until clean-up, programming and plant management is restricted. Luckily, the Chicago Park District has a disaster plan in place and teams are already mobilized to shore up the structure, clean out the glass, and protect the collections.  (Thank goodness they don’t need to wait for the city procurement process!)  However, it’s going to be a long and challenging road!

A letter from President Eunita Rushing to members called this a "major catastrophe." Other reports indicate that there is risk of loss of over 50% of the collection.

Extensive damage to Greenhouses - Garfield Conservatory July 2011

The Garfield Park Conservatory will be putting a capital campaign in place to cope with this emergency.  I imagine that page will show up on the site in the next day or so.  Until then, if you are so inclined please use the “donate now” button on their site to contribute.  Also anyone out there with a blog, facebook page or other social media connections - please help get the word out.

Today I'm singing the blues

Teresa Marie

Garfield Park Conservatory Tours

For the past few months I have been part of a small group of volunteers at Garfield Park Conservatory that have been in training as tour guides.   It has been a really wonderful experience.  This past week I had the opportunity to give my first "official" tour for a few new members of the conservatory.

I like giving the member tours on Wednesday night as the conservatory is open late. Also there are generally less visitors there, so it makes for a more private tour.  I had three folks on the tour - below we are in the Monet Garden enjoying the spring blooms.

I was very pleased to know that the gentleman on the left above sent a feedback note about our tour.  It said "Thanks again for the tour; our guide was really great.  As I had mentioned yesterday, a big chunk of my job was giving tours (to hundreds of people a day!) as well as coordinating them and training tour guides.  I know how tough it can be to train and maintain good volunteers, and I have always been impressed with how enthusiastic and great the volunteers at Garfield Park are, and our guide yesterday was no exception.  She did a great job tailoring the tour according to our needs, sharing her own love her plants, and also encouraging us to come back (which is so important for the vitality of institutions such as the Conservatory!)"

Whoo Hoo!

Pretty soon members will be able to sign up for tours on the Garfield Park Conservatory website - after that, maybe the public as well.  Maybe I'll see you there!

Teresa Marie