It has been a long, cold winter thus far and even though I have had opportunities to get sunshine and warmth, I never turn down a visit to the Saint Paul Como Conservatory in the snow.
Since November 7, 1915, the Conservatory has been welcoming Minnesota visitors to the tropics no matter how cold it happens to be outside. I stepped into the main rotunda and had to wait for a good 15 minutes before the fog cleared from my glasses. The orchids began with color here and kept going into the orchid room.
I visited the Cacao plant, the Coffee plant, the Red Ginger, the Manila Hemp, the Camel Thorn…
The Bonsai section is always beautiful, if slightly reduced in the winter. I love anything that values age, though!
The Sunken Garden room was full of Camellias and Amaryllis.
Refreshed, with my skin moisturized, I said goodbye to the equatorial climates of Southeast Asia and Latin America and headed back to the frozen snow where the car was parked. Thank goodness for the spirit of the Minnesotan in winter…especially the spirit of the ones that sustain and preserve this little bit of warmth in the Midwest tundra.
Isn’t this a wonderful place? We make sure to visit it at least once a year, sometimes more.
It’s really a privilege to have this great place here in St. Paul. I remember it well from college days when I spent a lot of free time there because of no money. I still love it and spend time both winter and summer at the zoo and Japanese gardens.