Phipps Conservatory: the colors of spring

I had some free time in my schedule one sunny day in April, so Dear Husband and I betook ourselves to our favorite place in Pittsburgh, the Phipps Conservatory, so catch their Enchanted Forest exhibit before it closed. There we enjoyed the topiaries, bonsai, woodland creatures, sculptures, and fantastic colors of spring. Somehow the light wasn't quite right to illuminate the Chihuly glass art, but you can see everything else came out nice and bright. We try to go during off times to avoid the crowds, as it's really not worth the trip to shuffle through in one long impatient line. It typically takes us an hour to walk the whole of the interior, unless we find a bench and sit awhile. If it's not too cold or too dark, we'll check out the external gardens, including the Japanese garden with koi pond and the children's garden (see the sun-worshipping cherub below). They do such a nice job with the animals made out of natural materials.

 

What magnificent bold colors on the orchids and bromeliads.

Is that a Hobbit house or does Goldilocks live there?

We timed our visit just right to see the tulips before they were blown.

This is the Victoria Room, where they place an enormous Christmas tree during the winter. Click here to watch a short time-lapse video! Today the metal skeleton was reflected in the still water, while the yellow rubber duckies mirrored the golden lilies around the edges.