Gardener Blog

Dale K of Fox-9 Stops out for a Sneak Peek of the Winter Carnival Orchid Show

2012-01-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

Winter Carnival Orchid Show Preview: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

A blooming Voodoo Lily, Amorphophallus Konjac

2012-01-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

When we came in to water the plants in this small greenhouse this morning, there was the familiar smell of dead mice lingering in the air! It is not that we have dead mice in the greenhouses all the time--gross-but we do occasionally have a blooming Amorphophallus Konjac at this time of year and that is it's tell tale smell! This plant has a great inflorescence (a grouping of flowers) that smells stinky to us but possibly lovely to it's pollinators. Some of you may remember another stinky plant that we had bloom here at the Conservatory last summer? Yep! It was the Corpse Flower, Amorphophallus titanum.

Come and see this fun plant in the Conservatory's North Garden. The blooms could last the week if we are lucky! And since there are actually three inflorescence's in this pot, the lovely aroma might just linger through the weekend!

What Is It?

2011-10-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

This is a photo taken of the underside of a Victoria Water Lily crown. All of the Victoria Water Lilies have been removed from the pools at the Visitor Center Entrance. The center of the picture shows the hard, fleshy main stem of the plant. Secondary to that, is the white roots that supported the lily in the pot. The thick crowns were cut out while the water was still in the pools. We used a very sharp, high-tech pruning shears from the Japanese Garden. Several cuts were made to get through the heavy stem.

The top view of the cut crown shows 2 flower buds along with 2 folded, emerging pads. All of the bigger lily pads were cut off before the crowns were sliced off. Note all of the thorns. The stems, undersides of the pads, and the flower parts all have these spiny thorns. These lilies have great plant defense in the wild.

This last photo is a side view showing all of the old stems from the pads that were cut off. The most pads we had on one lily at a time this year was 15. Wind gusts of 10-15 mph can overturn the pads very easily, and this accounts for the majority of our damage.

You can look for the return of the Victoria Water Lilies to the Visitor Center pools, sometime in early June of 2012.

Harvesting in the Edible Garden

2011-10-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

The Edible Garden has been closed to the public since Labor Day weekend, but the staff here at Como have been maintaining the remaining plants throughout the fall season. This is because all of the produce grown in the exhibit goes to the zookeepers here at Como, and is given as treats and enrichment to many of the animals here at the zoo. We have been harvesting plenty of tasty produce throughout the season. Some of the things we are still harvesting in the garden this time of year include: tomatoes, peppers, beans, kale, swiss chard, eggplant, squash, beets, parsnips, pumpkins, watermelon, and a variety of herbs. Here are some pictures of a few of our animals enjoying some of the harvest.

This is Nils, a De Brazza's Monkey enjoying some onions.

This is Markisa, one of our Orangutans eating an eggplant.

Here are some photos of the garden last week

Considering we've only had one or two light frosts in the Twin Cities, the garden is still looking great for this time of year! There are certain vegetables that can tolerate cooler temperatures than others. Broccoli, kale, mustard, onions, parsley, peas, and radishes which are all found in the garden, can withstand a pretty hard frost. Other more tender plants such as swiss chard, eggplant, melons, peppers, pumpkins, tomatoes, and squash can be damaged by a lighter frost. Inevitably our cold weather will be the demise of most of the plants in your vegetable garden but hopefully you (or the animals) have had a chance to enjoy the harvests while you can!

Only A Few Days Left To See The Summer Flower Show!

2011-09-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

Summer Still in Bloom for the Garden Guy: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

Possible seeds?? Big tuber!!

2011-09-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

We discovered these seed looking structures this week on our corpse flower, BOB,too. After the initial excitement, it was determined that these were not viable seed and the reddish orange fruits were empty....

This is the large empty looking pot in the support greenhouse that holds the tuber for BOB,too. The structure sticking out in the middle is actually the base of the inflorescence. The strange looking material on the left is the dried up inflorescence.

It was thought that we might have some seeds that had developed!!

After opening all the red berry looking structures, it was found that they were all empty. So sad......

But there is a bright side to this story! Here is our Corpse Flower grower with the tuber of BOB,too!! It looks healthy and has only a few spots of rot that were treated. The tuber weighs 43lbs and 3/4 ounces! That is a change from the pre-flowering weight of the tuber. In December 2010 the tuber weighed 55 lbs 1 ounce. Now we need to get this tuber back in the pot and allow it to develop the big leaf that will channel more nutrients back into the ever growing tuber!

43 lbs and 3/4 ounce!

Blooming Corpse Flower Follow up!

2011-09-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

As we were looking over the Gardener Blog from the great blooming Corpse Flower event in June 2011, we happened to notice that there were not any photos of the fully opened inflorescence (flower). So, to finish that chapter in the story of this great plant, here are a few photos of BOB,too the day after it started to open! This plant finally reached a height of 6'3"!!!

Edible Garden Featured on FOX-9

2011-08-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

You'll find it at the Como Park Zoo And Conservatory in Saint Paul. It's an 8,000 square foot garden that looks more like the produce section of the grocery store than a garden. Garden Guy Dale K. stopped by for a bite.

Edible Garden at Como Zoo: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

The Corpse Flower has been moved off display

2011-07-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

This morning, after a great 2 weeks out in our Parlor here at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, BOB,too the Corpse Flower was moved back to the support greenhouse. The inflorescence is still partially upright but is expected to eventually collapse completely. The underground tuber will recharge a bit then we expect to see a new bud emerging from the soil in the next month or so. The hope is that we will get another huge leaf growing for the next few years. Then, who knows what could potentially happen! Maybe we will get another flower bud on this plant in 3-4 years! Time will tell!

Roots, Shoots & Fruits Featured on KSTP-TV!

2011-07-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

So, while we are still waiting...

2011-06-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

While we wait....

2011-06-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

OK. This is the time that many horticulturists anticipate when growing the Corpse Flower .......there is little visible change and the bud is looking so ready to open at anytime. The only question that is asked now is "When will it bloom???" Well, we do not have a good answer for that inquiry at this moment!! Our guess is that it will bloom this week and possibly earlier than later in the week. It has reached the 6'1" height mark and 2 of the 3 leaf looking structures at the base have dried up and fallen down. So we know we are progressing, but at slower rate than many of us can easily handle!!! We are all waiting as anxiously as everyone else to see what this plant will look like when the bud opens. Stay tuned!

It is a cool and cloudy Saturday

2011-06-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's warmer and brighter weather made a difference in the growth curve for this plant!! There was an idea that maybe, just maybe, the upward growth had slowed down and we were going to see the outward growth pick up. Well, this mornings height measurement was 68"! That is 4 inches more than yesterday!

For those of you that have not had the chance to stop in at the Conservatory yet, here is a comparison of the grower of this plant at 5'8" with the actual size of the inflorescence and pot! Kinda cool!

More red coloring than yesterday!

BOB,too in the Parlor at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory this morning!

If we had to guess on a bloom date..........maybe????? Monday? Tuesday? Watch that webcam!

There is a change coming...

2011-06-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

64" tall today and 36 3/4" around the widest part of the bud! The upward growth is now slowing and the girth measurements are starting to increase. We are still on track for a bloom soon! How soon is still the question!

There is more red/maroon coloring starting to show in the spathe.

And the first fly to find it's way to the Parlor has been noticed!! It is always amazing how the flies can find this plant! Do you think that this little guy knows something we don't??

Still hoping to see a bloom some time early next week....

Corpse Flower - June 22 update

2011-06-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

The Corpse Flower is in the Parlor and it continues to grow well! Three inches of height and 2" of girth were added in the last 24 hours! There is also a hint of maroon at the very tip of the spathe (the skirt) that indicates that the blooming process is still moving forward. There was concern that a move of the plant at this point might cause some problems. Time will tell for sure but at this time, there are signs that we made the move from the growing greenhouse to the display area without too much trouble! We are now waiting for the leaf looking structures at the base of the bud to peal back---then the hope is that we will be about +/_ 5 days away from an opening.

Watch that webcam and plan your visit!

The Corpse Flower is in the Parlor!

2011-06-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

We moved our Corpse Flower from our behind the scenes growing house to the Parlor in the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory today!! It is not blooming yet and we do not have an exact date for the big stinky event. But we hope that each days growth will help us determine a date soon! We wrapped the bud in a fiber wrap so that it would be as stable as possible during the move. One of the Horticulture staff actually stood on the pallet as it was being moved to also help stabilize the bud! Thanks to a former intern for documenting the process so thoroughly!

This is the second bloom for the MMC---BOB, our original plant, bloomed April 9, 2008. This plant, BOB,too, is actually our second plant and is 18 years old. This plant has never bloomed and we are looking forward to seeing what this inflorescence looks like in the next days! Today, the bud was 56" tall and had a measurement at it's widest point of 31"! There will be a live webcam on this plant starting today. Check the website for the Como Zoo and Conservatory and see what all the excitment is about!

Quick glimpse into Roots, Shoots & Fruits courtesy of KARE 11.

2011-06-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hold your noses, the Corpse Flower is about to BLOOM!

2011-06-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

It has been three years since this blog was started. And the event that was used to launch the blog was the blooming of a Corpse Flower, Amorphophallus titanum, that we called BOB. Well, guess what???? WE HAVE ANOTHER BLOOM TO ANNOUNCE!!!!! YAY!!!

So.....

Here is a poster representing the life cycle of the Corpse Flower from our good friends at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. We are just at the stage where we can see the spadix starting to show at the tip of the bud.

Measurements have been taken daily since about May 11 when the bud started to peak out of the soil.

And here is BOB,too! You can just see the spadix starting to show!

We do not have an exact bloom date at this moment but hope it might occur sometime between June 27th and July 4th. Time will tell!!!

HERE IS A LIVE LOOK - Come on in and check it out for yourself!

Unable to Load Image!

Roots, Shoots & Fruits - The Incredible Edible Garden Opens June 17!

2011-05-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

Coming this summer is a new exhibit, the Incedible Edible Garden! The structure that used to house the butterflies last summer will now be filled with edible fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. There will be educational gardener talks everyday at 1:00 about the edible garden. The Edible Garden will also be staffed garden enthusiasts. There will be a wide variety of edible goodies; pumpkins, beans, watermelons, eggplants, corn, tomatoes, peppers, apple trees, lemons, blueberries, kumquats, pomegranates and the list goes on! There will be salsa hanging baskets that will have peppers, tomatoes, cilantro and chives and strawberry salad hanging baskets with strawberries, nasturtium and lettuce. On zoo grounds there will be large pots with edibles as well as the a planting in the wall of the birdyard. The Edible Garden will run from June 17th thru Labor Day.

Annual MN Bonsai show and Sunken Garden Summer show

2011-05-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

The annual MN Bonsai Society show was Mothers' Day weekend. Members brought in their trees for the two day display. The Bonsai Gallery is now open for the Ssummer with some of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory collection on display.

The Summer Flower Show was installed in the Sunken Garden during the week of May 2nd- 6th.This show features Geraniums, Roses, Petunias, Gerbera Daisies, Alternanthera, Hydrangea and Hybrid Lilies.Every week we do some changes to the display as plants finish blooming or an area needs rejuvenating. The show runs from May 7th to October 2nd.

Preparation for Japanese Garden Opening!

2011-04-28T12:24:00.000-07:00

This year the cleaning of the Como Ordway Memorial Japanese Garden was delayed by about a month because of snowfall in March. The Japanese Garden is quite shady, therefore the snow took longer to melt. Despite the delay the Japanese Garden will be open to the public on May 1st, with the tea ceremonies starting back up mid May!

There are many things to do in preparing for the opening of the Japanese Garden. For starters all of the fallen branches have to be picked up and composted. All of the leaves that fell in the Fall have to be raked up and removed from the centers of the bushes. The pool is cleaned out, filled with water and dyed black. The water is dyed to cut down on algae growth. Any dead foliage and flowers are removed from plants. The burlap and the tree wrap that was used to cover some of the smaller pines to protect them from winter burn is removed. Mulch is added to all of the beds and occasionally additional gravel is added to the pathways. Lastly, cleaning up after the resident red fox and owl! You must come and enjoy the fruits of our labor! Enjoy the before and after pictures!

Summer is Near

2011-04-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

It is a busy time in the production greenhouses as summer approaches. The Horticulture staff, Interns and Volunteers are busy transplanting plugs and seedlings into larger pots in preparation for planting the indoor and outdoor summer gardens.

The Spring Flower show will end on May 1st. We have been busy replacing the spring bulbs as they fade. (~ every 9 days after planting) It is a very fragrant and colorful show. Come in and enjoy the last few days of the show.

Anxiously awaiting the Victoria Water Platters

2011-04-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

The Victoria Water Platter lilies were planted from seed in the beginning of March. It takes the seeds a couple of weeks to germinate. The seeds germinate in temperature controlled tubs of water. Victorias are native to the Amazon therefore the tubs are about 80 degrees fahrenheit. The Victorias will be going out to heated pools that are in front of the Visitor Center the first week of June. The Victorias are about as big as a large grapefruit now, but can grow to be 6 feet in diameter!

Mushrooms: More than just delicous to eat!!

2011-03-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

Last February, Forestry worked at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory removing and pruning trees in the North Garden, Palm Dome and Tropical Encounters. The Horticulture department also recently hired a new Horticulture employee that has an interest in growing mushrooms! Our new mushroom expert suggested that we try growing mushrooms on the stump that was leftover from Forestry cutting down a large Mackaw Palm in Tropical Encounters. We decided to give it a try. Traditional methods of stump removal could not be implemented because of the birds in the exhibit. The picture to the left shows Forestry removing the Mackaw Palm.

The first step was to get the mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus - the Oyster mushroom) growing on grain. The grain was colonized and transfered onto sawdust. Once the sawdust had been colonized it was used to cover the stump and shoved into cuts that had been previously made. The sawdust and stump were covered with a plastic pot and landscape fabric for a week to allow the mycelium to jump from the sawdust into the stump. After one week the cover was removed, the material was well watered, and then covered with soil. We hope that the soil will hold in the moisture needed for the mycelium to grow, rot the stump away, and hopefully produce mushrooms in the process. The picture to the left is the covered inoculated sawdust and the picture below is the uncovered sawdust with white mycelium growing.

Preparing for Spring

2011-03-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Horticulture staff is busy installing the Spring flower show in the Sunken Garden. On Monday March 21st staff and volunteers removed the Winter show to prepare the room for Spring planting. Some of the plants from the Winter show are reused from year to year. Azaleas, Amaryllis, and Velthemia are moved to the production greenhouses, cleaned, pruned, and repotted as necessary and grown for next year. Plants with spent flowers like cyclamen, cineraria and pansies are removed from the show and the tops composted. The soil balls are ground up and pasteurized for reuse. The new Spring show will feature Tulips, Hyacinth, Snapdragons, Hydrangea and other spring bulbs and flowers. Planting continues thru March 25th. The show opens Saturday March 26th.

Forestry pruning in the Japanese Garden

2011-03-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

Every February & March St. Paul's Forestry Department prunes in the Japanese Garden. They prune the Austrian pines on a rotating basis (ex. one year they will prune half of the pines and the next year they will prune the other half). The purpose of prunning these pines is partially done for aesthetic reasons, but also for the health of the pine. The lower branches can be shaded out by the branches above and can die as a result. Prunning the upper branches lets more light into the lower branches preventing this from happening. Aesthetically, the pines are pruned according to Japanese Gardening standards. Any new growth is thinned by removing growth upward or downward of the branch. In general the branches fork into two branches and then continue to fork by twos, any growth extra of this is removed. You can see a good picture above of a tree that has been pruned and one that hasn't. The tree to the left of the Forestry employee has been prunned, the tree that the Forestry employee is in has not.

FOX-9 Visits The Winter Flower Show

2011-03-04T07:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks FOX-9 & Dale K. for stopping out! The Winter Flower Show is on now through March 20th. The Sunken Garden will be closed March 21 - March 25 to prepare for the Spring Flower Show

Marjorie McNeely Conservatory Tour: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

Forestry in Tropical Encounters

2011-02-22T12:01:00.000-08:00

Recently the horticulture staff received some help from the City's Forestry Department to do some tree maintenance in the Tropical Encounters exhibit. Some of the large trees in the exhibit were beginning to out-grow the space and needed to be pruned back or removed completely. The horticulture staff typically does plant maintenance in the exhibit but when it comes to the removal of very large trees, the forestry crew is better equipped to tackle such a task.

This giant McCaw palm had reached the top of the exhibit structure. Removing it was no easy feat, especially considering that the trunk is covered in very sharp spines!

The crew also pruned the Balsa, Kapok and Hogplum, all of which were outgrowing their space, and removed the tallest section of a Peach Palm which was pressing on the glass.

Orchid Show Awards

2011-02-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory’s exhibit at the 2011 Winter Carnival Orchid Show was a great success. Not only was it awarded an American Orchid Society show trophy and a best of class trophy, this year’s display was also awarded the American Orchid Society's Gold Certificate!

The coveted American Orchid Society's Gold Certificate is given only a handful of times in any given year. To qualify, an orchid exhibit must score a minimum of 90 points on a nationally standardized scale that is intended to recognize exceptional artistic or unique arrangement, educational value, creativity and artistic skill. Displays that receive Gold Certificates are exceptionally beautiful in the eye of the judges present not just well-executed, or technically well-done in their application of the principles of design. They possess a “wow factor” that is difficult to describe. This display, housed in its own room and designed to maximize the impact of numerous skylights and the natural sunlight provided, gave the viewer the impression of walking into an orchid-laden jungle.

Many individual orchid plants within the exhibit were also given awards including:

10 first place ribbons
14 second place ribbons
10 third place ribbons
1 Certificate of Cultural Excellence award for Angraecum eburneum ‘Como Conservatory’
1 Certificate of Cultural Merit award for Paphiopedalum swanianum 'Don McNeely'
1 Best of Class trophy for Laelia moyobambe 'Greg McNeely'

See What's Cooking For Valentine's Day Dinner

2011-01-31T09:58:00.000-08:00

Chef Art appears on KARE-11 preparing the delicious Valentine's Dinner.

Orchid Show

2011-01-27T11:32:00.000-08:00

The horticulture staff has been busy preparing our display for the Winter Carnival Orchid Show this weekend. Visit the Orchid Show on Saturday & Sunday, January 29-30, to see an incredible exhibition of hundreds of orchids from the private collections of Orchid Society members as well as specimens from the Conservatory’s extensive collection. The plants will be displayed throughout the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory and vendors will also be on site with a selection of orchids available to purchase. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 3-12 ($1 off admission with Winter Carnival button).

Garden Guy Dale K. takes you on a tour of the Conservatory

2011-01-20T10:09:00.000-08:00

Garden Guy at Marjorie McNeely Conservatory : MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

Bobby & Belinda Visit the Sunken Garden!

2010-12-26T05:36:00.000-08:00

Holiday Flower Show From KARE-11

2010-12-26T05:33:00.000-08:00

Pruning The Palms

2010-12-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

This past week three horticulturists spent a day pruning some of the largest palms in the palm dome. We have a geni lift that can extend our reach to over 20 feet. We then can use pole saws to extend up to another 20 feet.

The first palm we pruned was the Desert Fan Palm, Washingtonia filifera. The leaves can grow as large as 3-6 feet across. The petioles which connect the leaf to the trunk can be up to 6 feet. So the entire frond can be up to 12 feet long.

Another palm we pruned was the Princess Palm, Dictyosperma album. The feather shaped leaves on this palm can be as long as 8-12 feet long.

The last palm we pruned was the Queen Palm, Syqgrus romanzoffiana. This is the tallest of all the palms we have in the Palm Dome. The Queen Palm can grow as tall as 50 feet. The fronds can grow to over 15 feet.

We needed to groom the older fronds for both cultural and aesthetic reasons. This also gives us an opportunity to evaluate our insect populations.

Triangle Palm

2010-12-17T11:23:00.000-08:00

This past week the Horticulture staff transplanted a Triangle Palm, Dypsis decaryi into the Palm Dome. There is currently an older Triangle Palm in a nearby location which is almost touching the ceiling. Triangle Palms can grow to about 50 feet in height. At some point the older Triangle Palm will need to be cut down because of it's height. We want to get this younger palm established so that we can continue to have this variety of palm on display. It has a very unique shape. This palm doesn't transplant well but is a fast grower once it is established.

The Trianle Palm in native to the Madagascan rainforest. The fruits are high in nutritional value. This is an attractive plant and we hope you get a chance to see this palm in it's new location.

Inga

2010-12-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

It has been a couple of years since the Inga Tree has been pruned in Tropical Encounters. Pruning is an involved process because we have to bring out tall ladders and extendable pruning tools. It is sometimes difficult to maneuver ladders in the plant beds because of plant material in the beds and the unlevel soil in the beds. The Inga in a very vigorous growing plant so we did prune it back quite hard. It well grow back quickly. There were also vines growing in the Inga which we wanted to remove.

Ice Cream Bean is another name for this plant because the seed pod looks like a bean and parts of the pod tastes like vanilla ice cream. Inga is a companion plant for shade grown coffee because it grows so tall. Birds like to sit on this tree because it is such a tall plant in the Tropical Encounters exhibit.

Sunken Garden Holiday Show

2010-12-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

This week horticulture staff have been busily creating the Sunken Garden Holiday Flower Show. The mums and accent plants that made up the Fall Flower Show were removed Monday morning with the help of 10 volunteers. After that the beds were prepped and the poinsettias came rolling in. Staff worked from a hand-drawn plan to place the plant material. The poinsettia pallette is a very traditional red and ivory, with accents of multicolered coleus, purple alyssum, and juncus.

The conservatory received its poisettia crop as rooted cuttings in June, and staff have diligently grown them in the greenhouse. Poinsettias are subjected to shortened day lengths to stimulate the growth of their characteristic brightly colored bracts. Despite their popularity during the coldest time period in our climate, poinsettias are actually native to Central America and love warm temperatures. When you visit the Sunken Garden during the Holiday Flower Show, you will surely enjoy a warm, festive retreat.

Brrrrr!!!!

2010-11-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

Well, in case you didn't notice, it seems as though winter is here to stay! We had a wet heavy snow move through on the 13th that caused quite a bit of damage to some mature trees around campus. We filled 5 or 6 dump trucks full of debris to be hauled away to compost. We also had our cities forestry crew come in to take care of broken and damaged branches that we could not reach up in the canopy of many trees. A lot of the branches were buried by the icy heavy snow, and will have to be cleaned up in the spring once all of the snow melts.

In addition to storm cleanup, our outside crew is putting some final touches on grounds before they leave for the winter. One easy way to spruce up a somewhat dismal landscape is to put out some winter display containers. Using only materials found on grounds (most from that storm damage), and using cut-back perennial materials, we have put together some pots in front of our office building on the zoo. We used cuttings from evergreens including white pine, Chamaecyparis, and a Douglas Fir with interesting pine cones. We also used cuttings of red-twigged dogwood, miscanthus flame grass (silver plumes), and chasmanthium (oat-like seed heads). Using all of this material, we arranged the cuttings in a pot of soil, and then watered it in. These plants are no longer alive, and don't need water, but the cold temperatures will cause all of that water to freeze, and hold everything right in its place. The best part about these displays are that they are free! You might not have all of these materials in your yard, but think about what you do have. Any everygreen branches will provide color and structure all winter. Grasses add a flowing look, and many hold up all winter long. Colorful branches, such as the dogwoods are a great added touch. Also, any plant with berries adds that extra pop (if the birds don't eat them all!). You can also find some interesting curly willow, or branches with a unique form and structure to add interest. Hopefully this will inspire some of you to try out a beautiful winter display of your own!

What's happening with hydrangeas?

2010-11-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

This week horticulture staff are begining to remove all the leaves from next spring's hydrangea crop. You may be wondering why we would remove all the leaves from perfectly healthy plants. Hydrangea plants need to undergo a dormancy in order to flower. Outside, they would go dormant in the winter when temperatures drop. In the greenhouse we have to fake that seasonal change. When they go into dormancy, hydrangeas lose most of their leaves, so taking them off ahead of time reduces the mess later. Not doing so could result in old, dead leaves accumulating and harboring disease.

Hydrangeas are a major feature of the Conservatory's Spring Flower Show and require nearly 10 months of care before they go on display. The conservatory starts all of our hydrangeas from unrooted cuttings we receive in the middle of June. We grow them up through the summer and let them set buds before providing the dormancy the will need to flower. The hydrangeas will be dormant in a cold area of the greenhouse for approximately eight weeks. Then they are moved to a warmer spot where they can begin actively growing again and flowering. Horticulture staff use specially timed "feedings" of ammonium sulfate to ensure the development of blue flowers. This year we are growing mostly a variety called 'Oregon Pride.' This is a variety we have used successfully in past years. We are also experimenting with eight new varieties to see if they perform as well (or better!) than our traditional selections. Look for these hydrangeas in the Sunken Garden next spring.

Planning Annuals

2010-11-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year for raking leaves, cleaning up garden beds, and believe it or not, planning and ordering our plants for next year. Right now our outside gardening staff is hard at work, planning, designing planters and beds, and picking out fun and exciting plants for next years displays. We aquire many different catalogs from various growers and suppliers around the country, which is where we get ideas for great combinations and new varieties that have been released.

Some of the areas that we plan for include: the double sidewalk in front of the visitors center, the Skipper and Enchanted butterfly gardens, and various container plantings all over conservatory and zoo garden areas. Along with planning for our areas, we also grow plants for other gardens in the city, inluding some of the City of St. Paul golf courses. For those areas we grow about 75 flats of plants, and about 100 4-1/2" plant material. We probably grow about 2.5 times that number for our gardens alone.

We then put together a large list of plants to order, and then our indoor staff recieves shipments throughout the winter and spring. They then take care of planting the seeds. Sometimes we also get plugs of plants, which then need to be transplanted into larger containers. By careful timing with seeding, and different greenhouse conditions, the plants are all rooted in and ready to be planted in the ground or a container in the spring!

2010-10-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory recently was awarded a $400 grant from the Mid-America Orchid Congress (MAOC). The receipt of this grant is based on our active efforts to promote orchid conservation and awareness. The classes, talks, and displays we offer provide examples of primarily neo-tropical (Central and South American) specimens. Our weekly Gardener Talks on orchids are also an opportunity for the public to ask questions, see our plants up-close and learn more about the Conservatory's collection. Since 2003, The Conservatory has been a designated Plant Rescue Center through a program administered by the U.S. Fish and Willdlife Service. In doing so, we provide a site for the care and conservation of illegally imported orchids, among other tropical plants. These plants remain a part of our collection, and will not be sold for profit. Our participation in this conservation effort, combined with our non-profit status and the educational experiences we offer has made us eligible for this grant. The MAOC is an organization of orchid societies and works to promote worldwide orchid conservation. We appreciate their consideration of our institution and are honored to receive their grant. This money will be used for the purchase of additional orchid species that enhance the diversity of our orchid collection.

Saving Echeveria

2010-10-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

This time of year many of our plants outside are either being cut back to the ground for winter, or some tender, non-hardy plants are taken inside to be saved for next year. One example of a plant we save is our Echeveria. Echevaria is a large genus of succulents with many drought tolerant species. These plants form rosettes of succulent leaves on a fleshy stem.

We use about 50 flats of these Echeveria in our display at Gates Ajar every year. These plants work great to form the detailed symbols on the Gates. When we plant them in the wall we cut all of the roots off and just stick a little stub of the stem into the soil. These plants quickly form new roots and attach themselves to the wall.

We harvest the Echeveria off of the wall by simply pulling them out. Once back to the greenhouse, staff and volunteers clean up the old leaves, cut the roots off, and stick them in flats of soil to grow in the greenhouse until we need them outside next spring!

Fall Flower Show Featured on Fox-9 With Dale K.

2010-10-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

The Fall Leaves are Falling

2010-10-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already noticed, the leaves are changing into their beautiful fall colors, and many have already fallen to the ground. Do you know why the leaves change color in the fall? There are a couple of things happening as the days shorten, and the fall nights get cooler. The production of the large amounts of food, or sugars the plant was making throughout the summer begins to slow down. The chloroplasts that make this food are what gives plants their green color. Once these cells shut down, the green color on the leaves slowly fades away. What is left are some other pigments that have likely been in the plant the whole time, but masked by the powerful chlorophyll. These pigments called anthocyanins, and give a nice red or purple color. Other pigments form other common fall colors. The orange colors come from carotene and the yellows from xanthophyll, other common plant pigments. This year we have had perfect weather for brilliant fall colors. Dry weather with warm sunny days, and cool nights enhance this process, and therefore enhance the colorful pigments we see.

The leaf 'stem', or petiole is also going through a change this time of the year. There are certain cells that are found where the leaf attaches to the tree that start to break down, and eventually the leaf falls off. That's when our job begins (after we enjoy the color of course), and raking and bagging leaves become a big part of our fall clean up. Hopefully you have had the chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful fall we have had!

The Results Are In!

2010-09-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

Horticulture staff have happily represented the Conservatory's collections of bonsai and orchids at the Minnesota State Fair. We displayed 63 orchids in the Orchid Society of Minnesota's annual room exhibit, and three bonsai trees in the Minnesota Bonsai Society exhibit. The Orchids garnered 13 first-place ribbons, including a "Best Exhibit" of greater than 26 plants. Of the bonsai trees displayed, the Korean beech received an "Award of Merit."

Though the State Fair is over, visitors can still see parts of the conservatory's orchid collection displayed on a rotating basis, as well as our Sunken Garden Flower Shows, and lush tropical collections in the North Garden, Fern Room, Palm Dome, and Tropical Encounters.

Orchids and bonsai at the state fair!

2010-08-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

Over the past week, Conservatory staff have been diligently preparing for the showing of our plants in the Horticulture Building (near the food building) at the State Fair. All day Friday, September 3rd and Saturday, September 4th several orchids from our award winning neotropical orchid collection, and a few of the best bonsai from our bonsai collection, will be displayed. The orchids will be judged by peer judges including three horticulture staff from the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory and an American Orchid Society Judge. In order to prepare for the show, orchid leaves are cleaned to remove superficial defects that could impact appearance such as residues on the leaves from watering or fertilizing. The display for the orchids is also set up in the greenhouse so staff can preview and perfect the display before it is disassembled and moved to the Horticulture Building. Horticulture staff always have to keep in mind how much space is available in the vehicle that will transport our plants, that means limiting the number and size of plants that we send to the Fair as some of the bonsai are quite large. The bonsai also take some preparation. Some of the pots are oiled so that they do not look too dull and the trees receive some final pruning to maintain a finished look. In the end all that work is worth it! All you have to do is show up at the Fair to see them on display!

2010 Lantern Lighting Festival

2010-08-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, August 15th the 12th Annual Japanese Lantern Lighting Festival took place in front of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory (MMC) & the Como Ordway Memorial Japanese Garden. This year Bonsai and Ikebana were featured as the theme of the festival. Eight bonsai from the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory's collection were on display at the historic entrance to the conservatory. Bonsai demonstrations were given throughout the evening and the junipers used in the demonstrations were then given away to audience members thru a raffle. If you have not yet been to this festival, mark it on your calendar for next August 21st! Regular attendees look forward to the food, music, dancing, exhibitors, martial arts demonstrations, and the view of the 300 white paper lanterns floating on the water in the Frog Pond & Japanese Garden pool at the end of the evening.

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER!

2010-08-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

The dog days of summer are officially here. We are on day 15 of temperatures 90 degrees and higher for the year. Staff and visitors should be very aware of the heat wave we are in. Everyone should drink plenty of water, wear loose fitting clothing, wear sunscreen, and take frequent breaks in the shade. Outlook for next week is predicting mid 70's, that will be very refreshing! Stay safe and cool everyone!

What would you rather have right now?

Gardeners working in exhibits

2010-08-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

As horticulture staff, we get to experience what its like to work in an animals home and beautify their surroundings. We start with contacting zookeepers and letting them know that we would like to get into the exhibits to do work. The morning of our scheduled work day we call zookeepers so they can secure animals and unlock gates for us.

Tasks we usually perform in the exhibit are; pulling toxic weeds to prevent the chance of an animal eating them, mowing, pulling weeds, pruning, planting, trimming and mulching. We finish before 10am so the animals have a chance to get on exhibit for the visitors to view them.

When we do exhibit work its nice to see the animals come out for the first time. Sometimes they seem curious about the changes we made. In the Polar Bear exhibits, after we mow, it is very fragrant, the polar bears seem to really enjoy that too.

Flowers blooming in the greenhouse

2010-08-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

Most visitors don't get to see much of what is inside the greenhouses at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory. Here are a few of the flowers that were seen blooming inside the greenhouse today.

Check out the Blooming Butterflies video from Kare 11

2010-08-03T09:26:00.001-07:00

Great Tour of the MMC Courtesy of KARE-11

2010-08-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

Is that a bonsai?

2010-07-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

Frequently horticulture staff and volunteers hear visitors ask a lot of the same questions. Today we will answer one of the questions heard frequently in the Japanese garden.

A lot of visitors ask if the short scotch pine in the Japanese garden are bonsai. Although the conservatory houses a large collection of bonsai, there are no bonsai in the Japanese garden. The trees in the Japanese garden have some similarities to bonsai but one obvious difference. Bonsai trees are grown in pots, whereas Japanese garden trees are grown in the landscape. Trees in Japanese gardens are pruned similar to bonsai but the root growth is not restricted resulting in larger trees of a similar style to bonsai.

The scotch pine and mugho pine in the Japanese garden are pruned similarly. In spring the new growth or candles on the trees are shortened to reduce growth and stimulate the development of buds on the trees for future growth. The trees are otherwise pruned to remove verticle growth within the pads of foliage to maintain definition between each branch or foliage pad. The branches at the tops of the trees tend to be shorter so that lower branches should have more foliage than the top of the tree. The resulting branches could be reminiscent of steps toward the top of the tree. The shorter branches have a functional purpose in addition to the aesthetic appearance. Shorter branches at the tops of trees allow more sunlight to get to lower branches. In pine trees, when lower branches do not get enough sunlight they die. Again evergreen trees and shrubs grown as bonsai can be pruned similarly but are grown on a different scale.

Japanese garden trees are grown on a human scale. The trees tend to be shorter but not so small as to compare to bonsai.

Keeping cool in the greenhouse

2010-07-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

In hot weather like this the horticulture staff is trying to stay cool. Greenhouse crops can also suffer from heat stress. The greenhouse is equipped with a pad and fan cooling system to mitigate the heat in the greenhouse. Pad and fan cooling is an evaporative cooling process. Fans on one end of the greenhouse pull the greenhouse air outside while on the opposite end of the greenhouse, water pours through the pads. Air coming into the greenhouse through these wet pads evaporates the water in the pads and cools the greenhouse. Other circulating fans and vents in the top of the greenhouse called ridge vents are also used to cool the greenhouse.

In this hot weather the greenhouse staff will try to stay cool by caring for ourselves, as well as the plants.

Skipper Garden

2010-07-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

The Skipper Garden was created by horticulture staff in 2005. It is an AZA Zoo Conservation Project that was created to raise awareness of endangered and threatened butterfly species. The Dakota Skipper was once widely distributed across Midwestern United States. It has experienced significant declines in the last 150 years.

The Skipper's primary reason for decline is the conversion of native prairie to cropland as well as urban development. The Dakota Skipper depends on high quality prairie habitat for survival, and is an important indicator of prairie health. The last remaining stronghold of the Dakota Skipper is in western Minnesota, northeast South Dakota, and most of North Dakota. We have not specifically seen any Dakota skippers in our garden. Minnesota does have more then two dozen other skipper varieties that are native.

Specific plants attract certain kinds of butterflies and moth species. Adult butterflies choose their favorite nectar plants to feed at, and along with the caterpillars that also eat their favorites. Shelter is important to butterflies too. They like a sunny location and away from prevailing winds. Color is a factor to attract them to the garden also. An example, Monarchs use milkweed as a caterpillar food as well as a nectar source when they are adults, they also lay their eggs on underside of the milkweed leaf. Swallowtail larva feed on parsley and lay their eggs on carrots, parsley and dill.

A little bit of winter in the summer

2010-07-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

Over the past week, the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory has received its annual shipments of poinsettia plugs and chrysanthemum cuttings for our Fall and Holiday shows. The horticulture staff have planted the chrysanthemum cuttings and will soon plant the poinsettias. We will be patiently awaiting their successful growth into the mature plants they will become this fall and winter. Suprised that we start them so early? These rooted and unrooted plants come in at a miniscule two to four inches tall!

Anticipation is over!!

2010-06-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

The Blooming Butterfly Exhibit will be opening this Friday June 18th. There is a variety of tropical butterfly plants and butterflies are coming as I write this blog. You have to come see the new topiary, Bertha the Butterfly! It was installed almost a month ago. The horticulture staff used Yellow and Burgundy Threadleaf Alternanthera, Samba Hot Rose Purslane, and Wooly Thyme. It looks amazing! Horticulture staff also have hanging baskets all around for some extra nectar for the butterflies. Please come and check out this captivating and educational living exhibit. Its Dynamite!!!!

New orchid additions to the conservatory collection

2010-06-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory has acquired 12 new orchids to add to the orchid collection. Currently there are about 850 species orchids and almost 120 genera. The majority of the orchids in the collection are native to South America. The new orchids were acquired with funds from a $400 conservation grant awarded by the Mid-America Orchid Congress. The MAOC is an organization of orchid societies that works toward the conservation of orchids by preserving natural habitats and by propagation of orchids.

Victorias, Butterflies and Gates!

2010-05-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

The Victoria Waterplatters are in the heated pool in front of Tropical Encounters. They are looking small at the moment but by the end of the summer, some of the leaves can reach five and a half feet in diameter! The spread of an individual plant can be up to 20 feet! The water temperature in the heated side is held above 80 degrees as these plants are native to the Amazon River.

The pool on the other side of the sidewalk is unheated and is being filled with marginal plants--plants that can tolerate moist to wet growing conditions.

Horticulture staff planted Bertha, the big butterfly form, on Monday in the high temperatures!

A sketch was used to help with plant placement. The same tool used for this planting is also used in the Gates Ajar planting.

Horticulture staff and a dedicated volunteer finished the planting in one day. The ground bed plantings will start next week so that they will look fabulous for the opening of the Blooming Butterflies exhibit on June 18th!

Planting at the Gates Ajar still had a way to go earlier this week!

The symbols represent faith, hope and charity. The Gates have been planted in this location for more than 80 years.

The interns have been working daily to get this planting completed by this weekend!

The plantings on the structure have been completed this week! Now the ground bed plantings need to be finished and then Gates Ajar will be ready for the season!

Come and visit all the beautiful plantings in Como Park!!

Planting at Gates Ajar

2010-05-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Gates Ajar is being planted!!! This is a sure sign that Memorial Day is just around the corner.....

Horticulture staff and interns have been working very hard at getting everything ready to plant the "Gates" by Como Lake. Cuttings have rooted and now it is time to plant!

The "Gates" frame has been mudded----a soil mixture was pressed into the holes of the wire frame and smoothed. Patterns were traced around and then the interns started planting!

The soil mix must be kept moist or it will crack and fall off the wire frame. The plantings are watered two times a day until they are rooted into the wire frame.

The work is slow and most years it takes about 100 hours to complete the design.

Two of the main plants used for the design are Hen and Chicks (Echeveria) and Joseph's Coat (Alternanthera).

Stop down by Como Lake off Lexington Avenue and watch the progress of the Gates Ajar plantings!

New planting for Blooming Butterflies!!

2010-05-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

There will be a giant topiary butterfly in the exhibit this year! The wire form is filled with New Zealand sphagnum moss.

The interns and volunteers are taking 5000 cuttings of Alternanthera to be planted into the butterfly form the week of May 24th!

The cuttings are placed in the propagation house to grow roots. Once they are well rooted, the horticulture staff will plant the huge butterfly form that is located in the butterfly exhibit. The exhibit opens June 18th!!

Changing the Sunken Garden from spring to summer!

2010-05-10T12:41:00.001-07:00

Look at all the activity in the Sunken Garden as the spring show came to an end last week.

Volunteers, interns and horticulture staff deconstructed the Sunken Garden in a matter of a few hours.

The koi had t0 be captured and placed in the waiting tubs. The koi were then moved outside to the Japanese Garden pool.

The bulbs that were removed from the Sunken Garden are saved. They are packaged and offered for sale in the Gift Shop!!

Then the summer show plant material is loaded up on carts and wheeled out to the Sunken Garden. Geraniums, roses, lilies, statice and numerous other heat tolerant annuals are used for this show.

Pots are sunk into the loose soil mix, awaiting the roses! The pot system is used as each rose plant in the Sunken Garden summer show is rotated numerous times between the Sunken Garden and the outside growing areas. The roses are pruned back after they are removed from the Sunken Garden and allowed to regrow and bloom again up to four times during the duration of the summer show!

Plants for the summer show are installed over the course of the week. The entire room must be cleaned, swept and scrubed. The plants must be fed and straightened. Then the room can be opened for all to see! Come and see the finished summer flower show!!

Ahhhhh!! Vanilla orchids and Bromeliads!

2010-04-28T11:04:00.001-07:00

Our vanilla orchid (Yes! vanilla is an orchid!!) is starting to bloom again!!! Beautiful! There is no fragrance to this flower that we can detect. Each individual flower lasts only one day. Then they wither and fall off the vine if they are not pollinated.

Horticulture staff enjoy attempting to pollinate this flower when possible! We do not have the natural pollinators in the Conservatory so pollination must be done by staff! See the pollen on the left side of the photo? It is the triangle shaped yellow bundle in this photo. It is removed from the flower with a small piece of bamboo and then placed on the sticky surface of the flower and pressed in place. The flower is only receptive to pollinating for about 4 hours in the early to late morning!

When a pollination attempt is successful, the beginnings of a "vanilla bean" can be seen! Look closely at this photo and you can see the old whithered flower still attached and the green swollen "bean" attached to it. It can take about 9 months to get a ripe "bean" after a successful pollination.

The vanilla vine has at least 8 flower bud clusters at this time! The flowers open about one flower every third day. This warm spring has been great for this vine in the North House!

And the bromeliads in the display in the Palm Dome are very happy too!

Bromeliads for the display are rotated through the display as needed. Staff and volunteers groom and replace plants at least weekly.

The bromeliads in Tropical Encounters started out as divisions of plants from the collection in the greenhouses. They were then mounted on the fallen tree in Tropical Encounters with fishing line. The company that created the fallen tree attached coated wire mesh to the top of the branches. Sphagnum moss was stuffed under the wire mesh and then the bromeliads were tied on to the mesh with the fishing line.

These have been growing on the fallen tree for just a few years!

The bromeliad collection is grown in the production greenhouses at the Conservatory. At this time, there are three benches dedicated to the approximately 400 pots of bromeliads . The bromeliads are watered about every 5-7 days during the spring and summer and less often during the winter/darker months. They are fed about once a month when they are actively growing.

Bromeliads are also grown in high light areas with plenty of airflow!

Watch the ever changing display of bromeliad plants in the Palm Dome as they are moved from the growing area to the display in the Palm Dome!

Bonsai and the Japanese Garden

2010-04-23T11:32:00.001-07:00

Today was the day to move the Bonsai from the dormant house to their outside location!

The weather is now warm enough for the evergreen and deciduous Bonsai trees to come out of the greenhouse. They are displayed outside, between the North Garden and the growing range. Look through the Parlor doors for a glimpse of these wonderful plants!

The Horticulture staff carefully move each tree to the growing area under the shade cloth.

The trees have been exposed to the lower outside temperatures in the dormant house. During the winter, temperatures in the dormant area can hover just above freezing. There are even days when snow can be seen falling through the open top vents!!

The Japanese Garden is looking fabulous!! The Garden will open Saturday May 1 at 10:00am!

The pool is full and awaiting the arrival of the Koi from the Sunken Garden.

The redbud is blooming!!!

And the crabapple is so fragrant!

Vinca is covering this area of the garden under the river birches.

Horticulture staff groom every inch of the garden in preparation for the opening on May 1.

This is the time of year to "candle" some of the evergreens. The new emerging growth is called a "candle". This is where the new needles are being formed. About one half of the candle can be removed by pruning. This reduces the height of the plant and creates a fuller specimen.

Beautiful!!

Spring Is Here!!

2010-04-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

Spring is here!!! Actually, it has already felt a lot like spring for the past few months (at least here in the greenhouses)!

The greenhouses are full and very colorful! And the pansies are so fragrant!

The pentas for the Butterfly House are hot pink and red!

Production of the annuals (like these petunias) for summer plantings is going at top speed!

There are plants on the benches (like these hydrangeas) in full bloom that are kept as backup plants for the Sunken Garden plantings.

And some of the tropicals, like these wonderful bromeliads, are even blooming! These plants are awaiting their turn to go out on the display in the Palm Dome.

The Horticulture Staff are spending long hours watering, fertilizing and grooming the crops and collections to keep everything in top shape!

Besides the wonderful flowering plants, there are always those awesome "not flowering at this very moment" plants that deserve recognition!

The Victoria Waterplatters are growing in 100 gallon tanks in the production greenhouses, getting bigger daily. These are awaiting the time in early June when they will be placed in the large heated pool in front of the Visitor Center/Tropical Encounters Exhibit.

Since this blog was initially created in April 2008 to document the blooming of BOB, the Corpse Flower, it seems appropriate to post an update on this fabulous plant!! Well, BOB did a great job with the small inflorescence produced in April 2008. Yeah, BOB!! Unfortunately, that flowering also took the last reserves available to BOB to regrow.

So now we have BOB,too!!! BOB,too is currently not in the public areas of the Conservatory but spends the days growing in a small behind the scenes greenhouse.

BOB,too is about 12 feet tall with the base of the leaf (yes, it is a leaf and not a stem!) about 6 inches in diameter. The pot we are using for BOB,too is about 2 1/2 feet wide and 2 feet tall! BOB,too gets fed about one time a week during the spring and summer months and less often during the fall and winter months.

There is hope that BOB,too will go dormant this year and maybe, someday.....produce a bigger inflorescence than the infamous BOB!! We will be waiting!!

Flowers spring early - TwinCities.com

2010-03-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

Flowers spring early - TwinCities.com

Jewel Of Como

2010-03-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

Friday March 12, 2010

There is still a bit of winter left to curl up with a good book. ‘Jewel of Como, The History of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory’ by Leigh Roethke and Bonnie Blodgett was published last September and recently nominated as one of four finalists in the 22nd Minnesota Book Awards, Minnesota category. Winners will be announced on April 17.

This unique narrative chronicles the early city parks and Victorian era glasshouses in Europe & North America, inspiring a deeper appreciation for those first conservatories still in operation from the late 1800’s – early 1900’s. Gardens or plant collections under glass in the northern latitudes enjoy a special appeal, and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory rocks steady during the long winter season. An iconic Saint Paul destination since the doors first opened on Sunday, November 7, 1915, the conservatory has connected with millions of visitors through family events, art, photography, educational programs and in fulfillment of that intrinsic emotional need for beauty.

Photographs from the 1800’s to the present day highlight the people, plants, and quirky moments marking the passage of time. “Jewel of Como” will acquaint you with some of the early conservatory supporters to the more recent contribution from the Donald McNeely family in honor of Marjorie McNeely. The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, Parks Superintendent Frederick Nussbaumer’s grandest proposal for Como Park in 1913, has a history to tell and a future to share with generations to come.

Orchids

2010-02-09T09:49:00.000-08:00

This year the Horticulture Department displayed their Winter Carnival Orchid Show exhibit in the Parlor.
We used 81 plants in our exhibit. Of the 81 plants we entered 47 plants in 27 different classes. A maximum of three plants are allowed to be entered per class. There are 108 possible classes that are judged; including art, educational exhibits, photos, orchid arrangements as well as plants.

We were awarded the following:

1st place for our exhibit in the open competition: Orchid plants in flower, arranged for effect, more than 50 square feet.

1st place for best miniature orchid awarded to Epidendrum polybulbon .
1st and 2nd place for specimen plants awarded to Laelia (Schomburgkia) moyobambae and Angraecum eburneum respectively.

15 – First place ribbons
11- Second place ribbons
6 -third place ribbons
1 Best in Class (Misc. genera) trophy for Ludisia discolor
1 Best in Class (Class 10-26) trophy for Laelia (Schomburgkia )moyobambae

We also had one orchid this year that took a number of very special awards.
Laelia (Schomburgkia )moyobambae received:

First place class 14 (Cattleya Alliance)
First place class 102 (Specimen plants)
Best in Class trophy (Class 10-26)

Two AOS awards:
A CCE award with a score of 92. CCE stands for Certificate of Cultural Excellence. This is awarded to the exhibitor of a specimen plant of robust health and appearance with an unusually large number of flowers. This plant has 396 flowers on 22 inflorescences.

An HCC award with a score of 79. HCC stand for Highly Commended Certificate and the points are given based on the flower quality. The plant receiving this award is given a permanent cultivar name. The name chosen for this plant will be Greg McNeely. This plant and all the future divisions of this plant will be called Laelia (Schomburgkia) moyobambae ‘Greg McNeely’ HCC/AOS
Greg McNeely was introduced to the orchid which bears his name on Thursday Feb. 4, 2010!

February Thaw-Winter Flower Show

2010-01-26T11:15:00.000-08:00

The Marjorie McNeely Horticulture Staff has just finished installing our latest Winter themed Sunken Garden Show. The plants you can expect to see in the 2010 show include azaleas, cyclamen, cineraria, freesia, oriental lilies, and pansies. We are also featuring some very fragrant shrub camellias.

One plant that we get asked quite a few questions about is Veltheimia. This plant is in the bulb category, and is native to the Eastern part of South Africa. A common name for this plant is Forest Lily. The leaves can be one foot long, are glossy, and bright to dark green. They produce a rosette of a dozen or more leaves, and have wavy margins. The flowers are on 1-2’ stalks, and resemble a spike on a red hot poker plant. They come in shades of pink, mottled pink or a green-yellow color. It is one plant that adds a sculptural element to the show.

The Winter Show runs from January 30 to March 21, 2010. The color scheme of pinks, reds, and purples would make a perfect backdrop for a picture of your Valentine sweetheart.

Orchid Carnival

2010-01-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

The Conservatory’s Orchid Collection Staff, have been busy planning for the 2010 Winter Carnival Orchid Show. Preparation involves choosing the orchids, extra careful grooming, and then deciding on the way they will be presented. We have a loyal group of volunteers that assist with repotting, grooming, and special cleaning of the orchids.

The presentation, or the display, begins with considerable brainstorming and no reasonable idea is rejected in the decision process. The planning is creative, functional, & sometimes wildly entertaining. But throughout it all, we always remember to keep the orchids center stage.

The Orchid Show includes members of the Orchid Society of Minnesota. Vendors, hobbyists, and orchid enthusiasts make up the membership. Visit the Orchid Show on Saturday & Sunday, January 23-24, 2010. Each day the hours are 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Paul chatting it up with Belinda

2010-01-06T14:47:00.000-08:00

Pruning

2010-01-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

The Winter pruning is underway once again at MMC. On Monday, January 4, Conservatory staff spent all morning pollarding the Giant Fig, Ficus carica, in the North Garden.

The Conservatory is 95 years old, and we believe the fig to be close in age, if not 100 years or more!

Pollarding is a pruning technique that removes all of the previous years growth. Sometimes it is used to promote the development of new fruits. In our case, we use the technique to promote the new seasons growth, and to create more light in the room.

Often times the terms heading back and pollarding are used interchangeably. You can really see the structural aspects of the fig after it has been pruned. The surrounding plant material will also be able to capture some of the extra light, now that our days are getting longer!

Uninvited Guests---Integrated Pest Management

2009-12-31T09:57:00.000-08:00

In mid-December, five Conservatory Horticulturists began participating in an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Course. Our role is to take the on-line course to give a professional evaluation of it’s use as a secondary educational tool. It is proving to be a fascinating refresher for those of us that studied IPM years ago.

Integrated Pest Management, is a long-standing, science-based, decision making process that identifies & reduces risks from pests. Here at the Conservatory we practice various forms of IPM in our green spaces. We periodically scout for pests, monitor the extent of the damage, and assess our next control strategy.

Often times, biological controls, through beneficial insect releases, provide the control we are seeking. If not, we then may choose to use chemical insecticides. We also have good insect control measures with physical & mechanical maintenance, such as pruning, wiping, or simply rinsing the plants off with water, or a simple soap/water solution.

Our goal as an institution, is to make the best choice possible to maintain the plant collections, and displays with the least amount of impact on the plants and our visitors.

Holiday Flower Show on FOX-9!

2009-12-22T09:21:00.000-08:00

Holiday Hits

2009-12-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

The 2009 Holiday Poinsettia Show opened in the Sunken Garden, Wednesday, December 2.

A few of the poinsettias we are featuring this season in the garden are ‘Peppermint Twist’, ‘Eggnog’, ‘Cinnamon Stick’, ‘Orange Spice’, ‘Winter Blush’, and ‘Visions of Grandeur’ .

The horticulture staff is putting the finishing touches on the various planters that are placed within the Sunken Garden and around the Conservatory.

One of the varieties we are using is a new one called ‘Polar Bear’. The grower of this variety is the Paul Ecke Ranch. With each plant produced, the Ecke Ranch will make a donation to Polar Bears International. One hundred percent of their donations goes directly to research and education projects in support of polar bears. This is especially nice for us, as we will be opening our new Polar Bear Exhibit on Zoo Grounds in Spring of 2010.

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory and AZH

2009-10-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Association of Zoological Horticulture(AZH) is an organization of horticulturists that work in the specialized field of horticulture. Here at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, 2 of our horticulture staff belong to AZH, Bryn(Tropical Encounters) and Heather(Zoo Landscape). AZH works to highlight the importance of plants within zoos and aquariums, and seeks to support the horticulturist who work in a zoological setting. Zoo horticulture encompasses a wide range of activities which requires a diversity of knowledge and skills in gardening, plant identfication/selection, landscape development, plant animal interactions, plant toxicity, animal browse production, etc. Just imagine a zoo without plants and you'll agree, plants make the difference.

Highlights of the Purpose of AZH:

To advance public and professional education regarding the importance of zoo horticulture and its role in the educational, recreational, conservation,and scientific goal of the living natural museum.
To broaden the interests of the memberships in the pursuit of the occupations and to improve the standards of efficiency and effectiveness through fostering programs for professional and vocational education.

Recently, Heather(Zoo Landscape) from our staff, attended the AZH annual conference in Jacksonville, Fl. September 26-30 2009. She said it was a great experience for her to interact and learn from fellow zoo horticulturists. Also, she felt the butterfly house and collection/lab was spectacular.

MMC Horticulture Staff

Poinsettia Production Primer

2009-10-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

Our production greenhouses are now in full swing with poinsettia production for our Holiday Show, which opens December 5th. The growing process actually started way back in late June when our small rooted cuttings arrived. Our ace Horticulture staff has been fussing and nurturing the tender plants for the last 3.5 months to produce luxuriant foliage that is free of insects, disease and nutrition defficiencies or excesses. This crop can be rather demanding in its care!

We are now at the stage of there growth when they need the long 13 hours of darkness each 24 hour period, and then for the other 11 hours, they need strong, strong sunshine. We achieve these 13 hour nights by pulling a shade cloth over the plants at 6:00 PM and then opening the cloth at 7:00 AM.

Our Holiday Show this year will feature many new cultivars and will have a warm orange, blush pink, creamy yellow and cinnamon color theme, a little something to warm up our visitors as winter settles in on us.

A FIRST FOR OUR WATER GARDENS

2009-09-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

On September 23, 2009, we had our first succesful harvest of Victoria Cruziana seeds. Victoria Cruziana is one of the three Victoria Platter lilies that we grow or have grown for display in our visitor center pools.

Victoria Cruziana are native to the southern part of South America. It's leaf is lime green and has a 4 inch plus lip. The Victoria Amazonica leaf is reddish in color and has no lip. The Victoria Longwood hybrid is a cross between the Amazonica and the Curziana. It was developed by the world famous Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. It's leaf is red on the bottom and green on the top and it has a smaller lip than the V. Cruziana (about 2").

All three of the Victoria Water Platter Lilies are night bloomers. The first night they open the flower is white. On the second night, the flower turns pink. The flower has a very fragrant pineapple smell to it.

The importance of this harvest of seeds for the Horticulture staff is that producing our own seed is a good sustainable practice versus purchasing seed from outside sources.

Horticulture Staff

The fragrance is intoxicating!

2009-09-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

When you enter the Sunken Garden during the Summer Show, your nose is blasted with a very heavy, spicy scent eminating from the flowers. If you investigate further with your nose, you will eventually find the culprit; our Oriental and Oriental-Trumpet lilies. These wonderful flowers last about 2 weeks in the garden, and our horticulture staff produces 11 crops to cover the 5 month long show.

These tropical looking, and smelling, beauties are reliably hardy in our climate. This seems just too good to be true for our zone 4 gardening . If you visit our gift shop, look for the spent lilies for sale. It is a great time to plant these bulbs and you will be rewarded with flowers in July and August for years to come.

Horticulture staff

Production Greenhouse Glazing Replacement

2009-09-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

There are various materials that are required to grow top quality plants like we produce here at the Conservatory. Using quality fertilizer,plants,plugs,seeds and soil(soilless mix) are important parts of the equation. Another important part of the equation is the glazing material covering the production greenhouses and the light transmission level it provides to the plants.

Replacing the yellowed glazing on our production greenhouses, which is happening now, is important during the low light levels of the winter months. During the summer months we use shade cloth to reduce the light transmission level.

The glazing was last replaced over twenty years ago, it had a estimated light transmission level of 50% and was quite yellow. The old glazing material was made of polycarbonate and had a light transmission rating of 81%.The new glazing material is made of impact modified acrylic with a light transmission rating of 86%.

This project only involved replacing the side panels of the production greenhouses. Seven years earlier the roof panels were replaced because of hail damage.

Horticulture Staff

State Fair Orchid Show 2009

2009-09-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

Every year the horticulture department participates with the Orchid Society of Minnesota in an orchid show at the State Fair. This year people can see some of our beautiful specimans on Friday and Saturday September 4th and 5th in the Horticulture building at the fair.

Each year the planning starts well in advance of the actual event. We start to pull together orchids that are beginning to bloom about two months ahead of the actual show. We move orchids to different parts of our greenhouses to either speed up or slow down the blooming.

Every year there is a theme to the show and this year it is "In Your Garden" It will be fun to see what the other exhibits come up with for this. We are planning to create a scene that is in our garden; the conservatory. With the help of our creative orchid team we think we have come up with a nice plan. You will need to visit us at the fair to see the actual final set up!

We need to track and list the plants we enter so that we can make labels and get all the results into our database afterwards. This is a ribbon show which means that our plants are judged against all the other plants entered in this event. This is a bit different than the orchid show that you would see during the Winter Carnival here at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in January. That is typically an American Orchid Society judged show that brings in trained AOS judges who evaluate our orchids in comparison to all previously judged plants of that type. An AOS award is very hard to come by.

We have about 50 orchids in the show this year. After we have all our props and plants loaded into our vehicles we drive everything over to the fair and typically start setting up at 10:00pm After this is completed the judging starts and ribbons are in place by around 2:00am. It is an exciting and fun evening for everyone!

ENCHANTED GARDEN

2009-08-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

You can find this beautiful Perennial garden on Aida Place, across the street from the historic entrance of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory. Shortly after coming to work for the conservatory in 1999, Deb who is now one of our Horticulturists designed the Enchanted Garden, to resemble a butterfly. The center “body” of the butterfly is the asphalt path and the outer perimeter of the garden is shaped like the wings of the butterfly. There are well over 25 different plant species in this area, plus in the spring each year, many annuals are planted for immediate color.

Come and visit this garden soon. All of the flowers are in bloom right now.

Doreen Peterson

Intern

So Many Flowers

2009-08-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

As the month progresses the gardens are really reaching their peak. All of the areas are beautiful, lush and inviting.

This is a wonderful time to visit the park.

The Skipper Garden

Victoria Water Platters are full size now
Regular maintenance is still in full swing in all

the Conservatory spaces.

Inside everything is thriving and growing.

A visit from the staff at the Des Moines Botanical Center allows us to show off a bit.

THE ENCHANTED GARDEN:

We also start to see the end dates for all of our summer interns as they head back to school. We will miss them all.

CONSERVATORY GARDENS VOLUNTEERS

2009-07-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

We have many volunteers helping us (Scott Stanley and Doreen Peterson) with our daily gardening tasks. These volunteers are a valuable asset to the gardeners, as there is never enough time for us to get everything done outside. In front of the Conservatory there are many beautiful flower gardens which need a lot of care, so volunteers are extremely helpful.

Scott and I have up to nine volunteers on a weekly basis. They normally work in the morning hours; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. They help out in the Enchanted Garden, Exedra, Frog pond, and Rooftop gardens, and do other miscellaneous tasks. There are always projects to be done. Mainly this time of the year, it is weeding and dead-heading. Dead-heading is important as many plants will re-flower if the dead or spent flowers are removed.

This picture is of three of our Thursday volunteers with the 9 foot weed. Nancy Feinthal, Terri Tacheny and Joan Sorenson spotted this very large weed that was missed in the middle of Enchanted garden. They climbed right into the middle of the garden and yanked it out. I was right there, with my camera and had to get a picture of it. The weed, we found out, is in the mustard family and it is a very aggressive, fast growing weed!

Doreen Peterson
Horticulture Intern

The Victoria Water Platters are blooming!

2009-07-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

It isn't only the remarkably huge leaves that make these plants unique. The beautifully delicate flowers of the Victorias are equally amazing. These night-blooming, sweetly-scented flowers reach up to 16 inches in diameter and undergo an unusual color change. On the first night that it opens, the flower is white and gives off a pineapple scent. It will close up during the next day then re-open the following night, this time the petals will have changed to a deep pink hue. Each flower only blooms for two nights but the plant will continue to produce new buds, ensuring a steady display of flowers every night. Dusk and early morning are the best times to view the blooms. Come see these amazing beauties!

FROG POND

2009-07-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

There is a large motionless Albino frog that sits in the middle of the Frog Pond. The Frog Pond is located across the street of the historic entrance of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory.

This frog was donated to Como Park's Conservatory in 1904 shortly after the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. At this time also, the architect Stchikawa, designed a Japanese Imperial Garden in Como Park. The only remaining vestige is this large granite bull frog.

Most people come looking for the pond with the frogs in it, but in reality, there is only a pond with a stone frog and most likely ducks. Ducks like to live within the safety of the pond after their eggs have hatched. I have watched the mother ducks leading her babies towards the pond, sometimes coming from a few blocks away. When the ducks arrive at the pond the mother duck "tells" them to jump in and soon they are all in the water and out of danger. It is very cute to watch, but sometimes the babies tumble in instead of jumping in. Many times we find the adult ducks sunning themselves on top of the frog’s head, and the ducklings resting on the ledge around the frog.

Doreen Peterson, Gardener Intern

Schiller Statue

2009-07-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

SCHILLER STATUE

At the entrance of Como Park, near Lexington Avenue, stands a large bronze sculpture. This sculpture is a standing figure of a man named Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller. The sculpture was created by the artist Ignatium Taschner in 1905. It was donated to Como Park by the German citizens of St. Paul in 1907 and is in its original location at the junction of Estabrook Drive and Nason Place.

Johann Schiller was a renowned German philosopher, poet, historian and playwrite. He was born November 10th, 1759 in Marbach am Neckar, Germany. He died May 1805 at the age of 45.

The first play he wrote was called, "Die Rauber". It was a story about a group of rebellious students who enter into a Bohemian forest where they become Robin Hood like bandits and conduct other similar schemes. Following the performance of the play, he was arrested and forbidden to publish any further works.

There are many more interesting stories to be found about Johann Schiller in libraries and on the internet. The German Society of St. Paul, has made plans for this summer to restore the statue to its original state. It has oxidized so badly, that it has taken on a green color, and is in danger of deteriorating further.

Doreen Peterson, Gardener Intern

Forestry at work

2009-06-30T09:43:00.001-07:00

The City's Forestry Department is a great help to us here at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory. They have the skills and equipment to deal with plants and trees that are out of our range; in the photo to the left a Kapok tree is being pruned to fit into the North Garden.

When a palm's growing point hits the ceiling in the Palm Dome forestry is able to take the plant out safely so that we can come in and replant a new palm

When a tree becomes a hazard, as this Box Elder tree became in the Japanese Garden next to the Tea House, the forestry crew was able to remove it before it fell.

Bromeliads, Orchids and the Jack Fruit

2009-06-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory has a wonderful collection of orchids, bromeliads and ethnobotanical plants that are on display all year round. When you are wandering around the Palm Dome you will come across a display of our blooming bromeliads. These epiphytic plants (you would typically see them in the upper canopy of the rainforest) have spectacular and colorful blooms that are are also potential homes for various creatures like tree frogs.

The orchid collection has over 800 different species of orchids so something is in bloom pretty much any day of the year. We display our orchids in the Palm Dome, North Garden and in a special viewing window that is at the end of the Orchid greenhouse. Our collection focuses on plants that are native to Central and South America. The MMC is a USFW Plant Rescue Center for confiscated orchids that have been illegally brought over international borders. Most orchids are protected under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

The

The Jack Fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) bears the largest fruit in the world; commonly weighing between 10 adn 60 lbs. Our Jack Fruit tree is in the North Garden and since it is a young tree the fruit is still fairly small. This fruit is edible and tastes a bit like a banana, though when it is ripe it has the smell of rotting onions so a person may need to acquire a taste for it! Come see our Jack Fruit and the many other interesting and unusual plants that are on display in the North Garden.

Spring continues

2009-06-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

The Galapagos yard has been sodded and a few boulders (20 tons of field stone) were brought in to keep the Galapogos from going into the Bird Yard. No, the Gardeners did not have to lift or move those by hand, a front end loader was used. Mainenance was on hand to help with this large project

The Blooming Butterfly Exhibit is fully planted and is awaiting the arrival of the butterflies. Many annuals and tropical plants including palms and other trees were used. The "BBE" is scheduled to open June 19th, just in time for Father's Day weekend.

The Bird Yard wall has been completed and it looks great! First thing the Gardeners do is to prep the wall by bringing a tiller on top and tilling it well. Then they put in a slow- release fertilizer to promote lots of blooming. This year the garden was planted with St. Bernard's Lily, Cordyline, Verbena, Petunia and Sweet Potato Vine

Outdoor Gardener's finished projects!

2009-05-27T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Gardeners have been busy with some big projects. Over at the Zoo Gardeners, along with Maintenance Staff, have been working in the Birdyard to create two new spaces for the Galapagos Tortoises. Currently they are putting in a boulder fence to keep the Tortoises from getting into the other half of the Birdyard, where they could potentially harm themselves. Above are before-and-after pictures of the Birdyard with the boulder fence and without.

Located at the Como Lakeside Pavilion is the Gates Ajar which has just been planted for the year. The picture above shows the finished planting and some of the Gardeners and Interns that worked on planting the Gates Ajar.

Azalea Pruning

2009-05-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

Pruning the potted Azalea crop is one of the large projects during late May and early June. Over the next 2 weeks the ~500 plants will be pinched and thinned to improve their shape, structure and prevent premature flowering in the fall. Pruning the larger plants keeps them at a manageable size for yearly display. The Azaleas will regrow during the summer, receive a cool temperature treatment in the Fall and then be forced to flower during the Winter flower show in late January thru mid March.

Como Shuttle Ready For Action!

2009-05-21T11:33:00.001-07:00

The new Como Shuttle kicks into gear THIS WEEKEND! Stop circling the parking lot looking for that elusive spot and hop aboard the super comfortable, super convenient shuttle. It will drop you off at the front door! It is wheelchair and stroll assessable. Pick up location is at the State Fair Grounds Parking Lot at 1736 Como Ave. It starts at 9:30am and the last run is at 6:30pm.

GET CLOSER WITH THE COMO SHUTTLE!

Gates Ajar Preparations

2009-05-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

Preparation for Summer continues with work on the Gates Ajar near the Lakeside Pavillion. On May 1st 20 volunteers joined the Horticulture staff to take cuttings from 'Alternanthera ' stock plants. The 1" to 2" cuttings were stuck into small plug trays and put in the propagation house to root. The vertical Gates are being prepared for planting by mudding the gates with moist sifted soil to fill in the wire mesh surface. Starting May 15th the Gates will be planted with 'Alternanthera' and 'Echevaria', with plans to finish by May 25th. During mudding and planting the Gates need to be watered twice a day to keep the soil wet and until the small plants root into the wall

This morning on FOX-9!

2009-05-05T10:27:00.001-07:00

Sunken Garden Summer Show

2009-04-29T11:21:00.001-07:00

This week the Sunken Garden has been closed to remove the Spring Show and install the Summer Show. The Summer Show opens May 2nd and runs thorough to October 4th. This year's Summer Show will be mostly shades of pink and peach. The pictures above show some of the plants that will be in this show. The top picture has 'Escargot' Rex Begonias, Dianthus, and Pentas. The second from the top shows Geraniums, Gerbera Daisies and Stargazer lilies. The third picture is a Hibiscus and the fourth picture shows our Horticulture Staff bringing down the Starlights for their bi-annual cleaning! This our longest running Sunken Garden show, but it continually changes throughout the summer with different plant material.

Spring Clean Up

2009-04-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

The outdoor Gardeners have been very busy preparing the outdoor planters and beds through out the Zoo and Conservatory grounds.The planters outside the Historic entrance are planted with Pansies which thrive in the cooler spring temperatures. The Gardeners have been raking, removing and composting plant debris from the Perennial beds and preparing them for planting in early May. Pine bark mulch is being added to some areas for weed control, moisture conservation and aesthetics

More challenging vent maintenance!!

2009-04-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

The Hortuculture staff had another vent to be fixed, this time it was in Tropical Encounters! Tropical Encounters has screened in vents in the ceiling to allow for hot air to escape and fresh air to come in. Some of the vent components had to be fixed, but the point in the ceiling where the vents are located is 25 feet up. We didn't have a lift or a ladder that would reach that high up, so we had to get an articulated lift in that would reach. It was a challenging job for the Horticulture staff and the Trades workers because Tropical Encounters has free roaming birds in its exhibit. The pictures at top are of the Tradesman lifted up to the vent to fix it. The other picture is of the lift coming in through the door which had to be covered with plastic so that the birds didn't escape. Tropical Encounters has been partially closed due the vent maintenance, but the work should be finished by the end of this week.

North Garden Pool Cleaning

2009-04-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

One project this week is the annual cleaning and maintenance of the North Garden Pool. The pool was drained Sunday night and cleaned Monday. The cracks were repaired (some caused by pressure from plant roots). The edges of the pool were sealed and the sides painted black. The fish are temporarily being kept in large tanks in our garage. The pool will be refilled on Saturday morning and the koi returned to their home when the water is suitable.