This week we made the fifteen minute journey to the warmer climates of The Oak Park Conservatory. Even though we live near by and do a lot of work in the area, this was our first visit. Usually we are either too rushed to take in local sites after meetings with Oak Park/River Forest homeowners to present designs and plans or just too exhausted to walk another inch after overseeing (and pitching in) on landscape construction projects in the area.
We are delighted to have finally discovered this glass gem along the Eisenhower and will be stopping back often.
Plenty of snapshots and stories from the trip follow ~
The main Edwardian style glass structure at The Oak Park Conservatory was built in 1929 and is owned and operated by The Park District of Oak Park. It has over 30,000 visitors annually, an interesting history and many friends and supporters. But facts and figures were not really what we were there for on this day and plenty can be found on the Conservatory's website. We came to get out of the cold and see some plants and flowers!
During the Victorians era there was a fern craze known as 'pteridomania'. Ferns are again popular. Nowadays they are being used with less excess and more as embellishment. So with the renewed interest in all things Victoriana, Marina upgraded her London accent to a more posh version and we entered the Fern House.
Above, the large Australian tree fern towers over the central fern mound surrounded by fancy leaved coleus with deeply saturated colors, so beloved by the Victorians.
Photo above top, the Rabbits Foot Fern is an impressive specimen. Above bottom, amazing twirling, swirling tillandsia (more commonly know as Spanish Moss and again favored by the Victorians). If you wanted to replicate this in a container you could use Dichondra 'Silver Falls' which is a cascading vine with silver leaves and stems.
Above top, The Tropical Room includes a waterfall and koi fish pond. Above bottom, is the red leafed Ti Plant which looked stunningly beautiful with the light shining through its leaves. This is one of Marina’s favorite container plants for a tropical look.
We admired the lovely combinations put together by Conservatory Grower, Theresa Kyriazes, particularly the Persian Shield with Colocasia 'mojita' shown above top. This colorful plant is an old-fashioned variety and has not changed a great deal since Victorian times. The large purple and silver leaver leaves work well with Colocasia 'mojita" which has medium green leaves with dark and chartreuse highlights. Above bottom is the strongly scented Puerto Rican Oregano which contrasts nicely with the leaves of the bromelaids.
We also loved the pairing of the coleus with kalanchoe (pictured above) which would make a great plant combination indoors or out. Theresa and the whole crew at the conservatory do a fantastic job of working in the various annuals and other potted plants that not only bring seasonal interest to their displays but also give visitors ideas they can take home and use in their own gardens. There is an upcoming bulb display, perennial plant sale and other events throughout the year.
Finally was the Desert Room pictured above. Here the collection includes three main groups of cacti- cereus, optunia and pereskia. They also have algaves and many other exotic specimens that complete a warm, fun trip to the northern Illinois desert.
The Conservatory Website. Also see feature on Victorian revival in Garden Design Magazine.
GARDEN NOTES:
The Oak Park Conservatory is currently undergoing a major renovation of their outdoor spaces and gardens that is scheduled to open this coming season. Additions are to include large bluestone and permeable paver patio, walk and service areas. There will also be a wooden pergola, water feature, plant wall, park benches and new landscaping which all will make warm season visits even better. We look forward to visiting throughout the year!
We met some wonderful artists, designers and shop owners during our recent visits to Oak Park and will be featuring them here soon. Please tell us about any of your favorite local inspiring people or places!
