Every winter, usually in February right after Valentine's Day, I go and spend a week or two with the kids and grandkids. This winter it was bitterly cold, our septic system froze, and then the kids got a snowstorm which delayed my trip by another day. The weather was pretty cold and snowy most of the week I was in Indianapolis so we just hung around the house a lot. This was fine with me as my main reason in going there was to spend time with the grand kids. But we did do a couple of fun things, one of which was a visit to the Indianapolis' conservatory. I LOVE to go to conservatories in the middle of winter! I love walking in and feeling the warmth and sunshine, and seeing all the beautiful plant life. It is something I try to do every single winter.
The conservatory is 10,000 square feet and is home to hundreds of tropical plants from throughout the world. I loved these tall banana tree plants gracing each side of the entrance to the conservatory.
My daughter is an avid houseplant collector and she enjoyed seeing and identifying all of her houseplants at the conservatory.
We all marveled at all the color in the dead of winter, and how even though the conservatory consisted of mostly green plants, there was color everywhere!
There were so many beautiful green plants that bloomed and provided the brightest, prettiest flowers!
Of course the orchids were the star of the conservatory, as they are in almost every conservatory I have ever visited.
There are several ponds inside the conservatory and to my grandchildren's delight, each one was stocked with beautiful koi.
I love the sharp fronds of this Palm leaf.
Color in the conservatory isn't just provided with flowers, but with colorful foliage of many of the plants.
A beautiful, bright red Hibiscus.
How often do you see a neon bright pink plant like this?
This is a "Powder Puff Tree"...very appropriately named in my opinion.
The purple flowers of this chartreuse green plant remind me of spiders.
Potted orchids with a background of a tall fern.
I love the interesting flower of this plant.
The long cascades of sphagnum moss provided a beautiful contrast to the other plants.
This pathway of bamboo amazed me. Knowing the root system of this plant, I was surprised to see it planted indoors and wondered how it was not lifting up the bricks?
At the far end of the conservatory is the largest, and most beautiful pond and fountain. I liked how they had chairs in front of it so you could comfortably sit and enjoy it for a few moments.
Of course, the grandkids were mostly interested in the Koi again! 😀
Look at this beautiful flower. Isn't it amazing? The color and detail are just so striking. It's hard not to believe in a Creator when you see such incredible magnificence like this.
The colorful plant below the flowering shrub really amazed my daughter Ashley and I, because we've both tried this as a houseplant and had difficulty with it. We could not believe how large this plant could get.
Love these statues by another pond. I like how they are looking into the water. So sweet.
Such a pretty water plant. The chartreuse color is amazing!
This beautiful purple bloom was on a shrub.
This plant is called "Pitcher Plant"....another very aptly named plant!
Gorgeous leaves of a banana tree.
This flowering shrub reminded me of the flower one would see on a Vibernum bush, although I've never see one so orange before.
We could not believe the size of this leaf, so we had Alethea put her on it for comparison. So amazing and beautiful, isn't it?
Unfortunately, masks were required to tour the conservatory. You also had to make an appointment to enter and traffic in the conservatory was one way only. Admission is only $2.00 per person, and children under two are free. The park is located in Garfield Park in Indianapolis. They also have a sunken garden outside the conservatory, but obviously we couldn't see it in the winter. Park hours are Monday - Saturday 10 - 5 and Sundays 1 - 5.
