If you haven’t been in the Glasshouse recently, then you haven’t seen the new growth on many of the trees and herbaceous plants, especially in the Costa Rica biome. Plants respond very quickly in a greenhouse when the day length begins to increase this time of year. Numerous orchids come into bloom; many butterfly nectar plants (Hamelia sp., Lantana sp.) have new flushes and some of our fruit trees (avocados) bloom profusely. We also prune some of the fastest-growing trees (Cecropia sp. and Inga sp.). It always amazes me how fast-growing many tropical plants are. My philosophy has been to maintain the biomes as naturally as possible and not in the neat, antiseptic way that many conservatories display plants. Having neat, orderly rows of plants is not a realistic reflection of a rain forest. If you’ve ever been to a tropical forest, you know what it looks like: a beautiful, chaotic conflagration of all things living. That is what I strive to show our visitors. If you want to see leaf-shined plants arranged in an orderly fashion, go to the mall. Real paradise is yours to enjoy at the Garden.

Posted By Cynthia Druckenbrod