by I was feeling a little uncertain about the steep per-person entry fee for the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden in Pittsburgh, Penn., but even though I only spent 75 minutes there, I have to admit the price was worth it. The displays were richly layered and really well done; the plants were all in spectacular form and well-tended. The current exhibition scattered throughout the conservatory was nicely incorporated and enjoyable.
The Phipps was built in 1893, thanks to a gift to the city by steel and real-estate magnate Henry Phipps, Jr. Today it has 14 rooms in the greenhouse and 23 distinct gardens of different themes, and it also has several Dale Chihuly glass sculptures scattered throughout. The exhibit during my visit was “Flowers Meet Fashion: Inspired by Billy Porter.” Porter is a Pittsburgh native who is an award-winning actor, singer, director, composer and playwright, and he is known for his bold fashion statements.
But really, who am I kidding? This post is really just an excuse to dump a bunch of flower pix, so here we go!
First, we start with the Dale Chihuly glass pieces…you can read about the glass art at the Phipps here.
Next up is the Flowers Meet Fashion: Inspired by Billy Porter Exhibit:
Orchids! Nothing but orchids!
And then the “all other”. Yes, I know this is a ridiculous amount of flower pictures. Now you know why Doug didn’t tour this with me. And yes, I did actually edit out a lot of pictures from this post.
2 thoughts on “The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden”