cincinnati’s krohn conservatory

Since it was snowing and raining on the early March day we visited Cincinnati, we gravitated to warm places, beginning with the Irwin M. Krohn Conservatory, where we could pretend we were in the tropics.

In Cincinnati’s Eden Park, a greenhouse for public display opened in 1902.  Later, the old buildings were replaced with a new building in the Art Deco style and opened to the general public in 1933. In 1937, the Park Board named the new conservatory the Irwin M. Krohn Conservatory, in honor of Irwin Krohn’s 25 years of service to the Board of Park Commissioners.

In 1939, an addition was built to hold the Desert House.  In the 1970s, a gift shop was built and the entrance to the building was enlarged.  In 1995, the John Carroll Bonsai Gallery was opened.  In 1996, Krohn hosted the first Blockbuster Show, featuring butterflies, which has evolved into the annual Krohn Butterfly Show.

Now Krohn has six permanent display areas housing more thant 1,000 species of plants. The Fern House holds tropical plants, the Palm House holds a waterfall and palm trees and exotic plants, the Floral Display House has changing seasonal exhibits and a permanent collection of citrus trees. The Bonsai Collection has beautiful tiny trees crafted by the Bonsai Society. The Orchid House displays many species of orchids as well as the Carnivorous Plant Collection.

We saw ferns, painterly green leaves, yellow slender polka dot leaves, dimpled leaves with spiky edges, green- and pink-tinged leaves, strawberry guava, zigzag shrubs. We took turns sitting in butterfly and bonsai tree benches.  We strolled amidst coleus, tulips, a Christmas tree made of poinsettias, Ponderosa lemons, collages of spring, Calamundin Orange from China and Japan, Grapefuit “Rio Red,” Fragrant Elephant Tree with peeling bark, Spear Sansevieria from Angola, Bishop’s Cap, a wooden sculpture in the Desert Room, Indian Spurgetree, Dragon Bones and Spider Aloe. In the Desert Room, we were prickled pink by Pipe Organ Cactus, Golden Barrel Cactus, Madagascan Ocotillo, Blue Flame Cactus.  Our day was brightened by orchids, trained ficus trees and a tunnel of colorful flowers.

*Sunday, March 3, 2019*

*6,451 steps, or 2.73 miles*

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“PHOTOGRAPHY” INVITATION:  I invite you to create a photography intention and then create a blog post for a place you have visited. Alternately, you can post a thematic post about a place, photos of whatever you discovered that set your heart afire. You can also do a thematic post of something you have found throughout all your travels: churches, doors, people reading, people hiking, mountains, patterns, all black & white, whatever!

In my case, my intention was to look for thematic possibilities during my trip to Cincinnati and I found warmth and joy in the midst of an icy winter day at the Krohn Conservatory.

You probably have your own ideas about this, but in case you’d like some ideas, you can visit my page: photography inspiration.

I challenge you to post no more than 20-25 photos (I have a lot more here!) and to write less than 1,500 words about any travel-related photography intention you set for yourself. Include the link in the comments below by Wednesday, August 28 at 1:00 p.m. EST.  When I write my post in response to this challenge on Thursday, August 29, I’ll include your links in that post.

This will be an ongoing invitation, every first, second, and third (& 5th, if there is one) Thursday of each month. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

the ~ wander.essence ~ community

I invite you all to settle in and read a few posts from our wandering community.  I promise, you’ll be inspired!

• Sheetal, of sheetalbravon, posted about some beautiful art she found underground in Stockholm.
  • Most Instagrammable Metro Stations of Stockholm

Thanks to all of you who shared posts on the “photography” invitation. 🙂