Milwaukee 'domes'

pk · 07-12-2007, 09:21 AM

Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory
"The Domes"'

524 S. Layton Blvd., Milwaukee, WI 53215
(414) 649-9800
Hours: Daily 9am-5pm

Experience a desert oasis, a tropical jungle and special floral gardens . . .
all in one afternoon!

The incredible diversity of plantlife you will encounter reminds us all of the Earth's unique diversity of plant and animal species so very vital to our own survival.

Come to the deserts of Africa, Madagascar, South America and North America in the Arid Dome where one of the world's finest collections of cacti, succulents, shrubs and arid-land bulbs grow. An Oasis of Pampas Grass and desert palms beckons as paths lead you past many plant oddities with intriguing geometric forms, subtle coloration and unique adaptations to hot, dry habitats.

Stroll the jungle-like trails of the Tropical Dome and see a rich diversity of plants from the rainforests of five continents. Showy flowers, fruits, nuts, spices and a multitude of orchids and bromeliads surround you as you're drawn toward a rushing waterfall in this paradise. Be sure to look for the colorful birds that call the Tropical Dome their home.

Enter a themed floral exhibit filling the Floral Show Dome with gardens of color. Five seasonal displays each year will delight you with their beauty and will serve to inspire your own gardens.

WEBSITE: http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/disp...sp?docid=10116

pk · 07-12-2007, 09:31 AM

Yesterday we visited the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory
"The Domes"' in Milwaukee. What a great time we had! Going slowly and spending time taking pictures we were able to observe the many flowers and plants from all over.

Walking from one 'dome' to the other made you feel as if you were traveling to completely different areas of the world. How fun!

I totally recommend this as a place to visit. It isn't very expensive and going very slow we spent maybe 2 hours for 2 adults and 3 kids. So it can be put into a day trip with the museum or other places. Or like we did, just for a nice morning trip before a great lunch at PAINTED PARROT. (that's another place I'll post about someday) lol

I took plenty of pictures and will add more as I have time.

pk

pk · 07-12-2007, 10:11 AM

Here's a picture of the outside of one of the domes. You can see how beautiful the day was! Could not ask for nicer weather.

pk

pk · 07-12-2007, 10:13 AM

Looking up the kids noticed a blimp flying by! lol Haven't seen one of these for awhile.

Again, check out the beautiful blue sky!

pk

pk · 07-12-2007, 10:15 AM

3 domes are open for viewing. I couldn't say which was my favorite since all 3 were very interesting and beautiful in their own different way.

pk

pk · 07-12-2007, 10:18 AM

The tropical dome had such very different flowers. Bright colors, huge leaves on most. And very humid and warm inside. Felt as drippy as the leaves by the time we left there! (air conditioning in the small gift shop is great to go to after this dome!) lol

pk

pk · 07-12-2007, 10:19 AM

this flower shows some of the moisture in the tropical dome.

pk

pk · 07-12-2007, 10:20 AM

The kids loved seeing a banana tree.

pk

pk · 07-12-2007, 10:24 AM

The plants and flowers are beautiful here. (again you can see the moisture).

pk

pk · 07-12-2007, 07:38 PM

This is actually the first dome we walked through. It was really very fun to see how tall cacti can get. Also the different trees that grow in this climate was very interesting.

pk · 07-12-2007, 07:41 PM

Here is what it looks like to be inside the domes looking outside the top of the dome. You can again see how beautiful the weather was that day but it makes me wonder how it is on a stormy day or when it snows.

The only thing we did not think about was the fact that the sun was shining through. I sunburn very easy and was wondering how I got some later when I noticed it was hurting. My son had to fill me in that I was in the sun even though we were inside a building! lol Didn't even think about it.

pk

pk · 07-12-2007, 07:42 PM

This picture shows the beauty in this dome.

pk

pk · 07-12-2007, 07:45 PM

My son and I sat down for a few minutes to just enjoy everything when we noticed that birds were actually sitting inside the pieces of the trees. You had to look closely to see them since they were almost invisable.

pk · 07-12-2007, 07:47 PM

This picture shows the birds more closely inside the tree bark. They are very pretty to watch as they dart back and forth.

pk

pk · 07-12-2007, 07:54 PM

My kids loved the cacti plants. Many of the plants were thin and taller than my kids, others with huge flat 'leaves' with really pretty flowers on them.

**j10asen** · 07-13-2007, 05:59 AM

Now this is a great photo essay pk. Your Macro photography came out great, vivd colors and sharp details.
Thank you ,it certainly held my interest and now I want to visit the domes.

pk · 07-13-2007, 08:27 AM

Thank you so much for your comment.

As always when showing photos I worry that I may bore people with them. It's good to read that they held your interest enough to want to visit the place.

I have one more dome to feature so a couple more pictures will be added hopefully this morning.

pk

pk · 07-13-2007, 08:51 AM

The last dome that I have pictures of is called the

SHOW ROOM

(sorry I don't have a sign picture for this room).

pk · 07-13-2007, 09:00 AM

The flowers in the Show Room are all very showy and make nice cut flowers or often ones you will see in back yard gardens.

pk · 07-13-2007, 09:01 AM

I have plenty of these in one of my own flower gardens.

pk · 07-13-2007, 09:03 AM

Loved this flower it is so gracefull yet made such a statement.

pk

pk · 07-13-2007, 09:04 AM

another view...

pk · 07-13-2007, 09:08 AM

This next and last flower I will add for now was such a simple yet elegant flower. It added beauty to the garden with very little effort.

pk · 07-13-2007, 09:55 AM

Piece of added information about the domes that I thought was interesting:

Each show has a specific theme, generally categorized as historical, cultural or fantasy, and chosen at least a year in advance. We select plants specifically for a particular floral exhibit and grow them at our Horticulture Division's Greenhouse Center. Once in place, a show must last from six to fourteen weeks. We change potted flowers as needed. For a long-running Summer Show, there can be 3-4 complete changes of plantings.

It takes many talents to make these themes realities. A landscape architect, horticulturists, arborists, artists, carpenters, electricians, plumbers and welders work together to create each show. The actual process can take 8-10 working days. Props are modular and thus, versatile; they can be modified and reused. One building could be an Italian villa and then be transformed into a Spanish hacienda, Williamsburg mansion or southern plantation home in future shows.

The Floral Show Dome provides serene settings to be captured by artists and photographers, duplicated by visitors in their own gardens, and used by students learning about flowering plants. Simply put, the Floral Show Dome offers beauty and inspiration for all.

FULL WEBSITE: http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/disp...sp?docid=10116

BadgerLight · 07-18-2007, 09:40 PM

These are really nice photos! You captured it well. The Domes are a fun place. When I was in grade school they used to have outdoor gardens too. Last time I was there, those gardens were gone - just lawn now. It is good to see that the plants inside the domes are still doing well.

I grow Anthuriums in my livingroom and it is not tropical there, especially in the winter. I have 8 different Anthurium plants. Right now there are 18 flowers. They are a fun plant.

Suzanne