Having had a little success with our new garden this summer, I have developed a deeper interest in plants recently. And on one of my frequent running routes, I enter Lincoln Park right by the Lincoln Park Conservatory.
A mysterious, hulking behemoth of a greenhouse, this building has intrigued me for the past several months since I first noticed it during a run. It also has a prominently posted marquee stating that it is open every day of the year for free to the public from 9-5. The problem is that it lies about a third of the way through my run, so it never seems just the right moment to peek in and take a stroll through some exotic plant exhibits.
Today, with my sister in town, we were walking through the park to visit the green market and it struck me that this was the perfect opportunity to check out the Conservatory. It was worth the wait and far exceeded my expectations. The building is divided into several rooms with a logical path running through. First there was the palm room, then the fern room, then the orchid room, and then a seasonal exhibit room, leading back in a loop to the palm room and then out again. Almost every plant is labeled and there are some giant ones that make you feel like you're in Jurassic Park or some prehistoric rainforest.
Here is some history about the building from the Chicago Park District's official website:
The Lincoln Park Commission constructed the Lincoln Park Conservatory in phases between 1890 and 1895, replacing a small greenhouse that dated from the 1870s. Nationally renowned architect Joseph Lyman Silsbee designed the Conservatory in collaboration with architect M.E. Bell. The park includes a second example of the work of each architect. Silsbee designed the Carlson Cottage, a ladies comfort station southeast of Café Brauer, and Bell designed the Rustic Shelter, located west of the North Pond, near Stockton Drive.
During the early nineteenth century developments in iron and glass building technology led to the construction of conservatories in cities throughout Europe and the United States. Later in the century, as people were increasingly concerned about the ill effects of industrialization, they became fascinated with nature and interested in collecting and classifying plants. Large conservatories with display and exhibit rooms gained popularity, and Lincoln Park's small greenhouse no longer seemed sufficient. Architects Silsbee and Bell were commissioned to design a much more substantial building. Rendered in an exotic style, the new structure included palm, fernery, orchid, and show houses. A "paradise under glass," the Conservatory supported "a luxuriant tropical growth, blending the whole into a natural grouping of Nature’s loveliest forms." Historically, aquatic plants propagated in tanks in the Conservatory were planted outside, in artificially-heated lily ponds. The exotic plants were so popular that in 1897 the Egyptian government requested seeds from Lincoln Park's water lilies. The rocky-edged ponds once meandered along what is now the fence line of the Lincoln Park Zoo
It is such a wonderfully pleasant environment to explore the beauty of plants and to learn about various species. I wouldn't say there was an overwhelming amount of information - in fact, there were very few explanatory placards - but just enough to provide some background without overly slowing down your progress through the exhibits. If you are in the area, I highly recommend checking this out - it's a breathtaking facility, it's free, and you just may get some inspiration for your home garden.
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