Pollinating Vanilla!

Over the past few weeks I have been hand pollinating Vanilla planifolia flowers in the North Garden. This is one of the vanilla orchids from which  vanilla pods are produced . There are over a 100 species of vanilla in this genus. Only a handful of the species are used for flavorings.

When a vanilla flower is pollinated, the seed pod that is produced is the vanilla “bean” that is used in the flavoring of food and as an addition to many other products. It is not a true “bean” (like a green bean) but actually an orchid seed pod. We have 3 different kinds of vanilla in the North Garden, all climbing on the wall between the North Garden and the Palm Dome. Two of the species of vanilla are blooming today. I have been hand pollinating this flush of flowers on the Vanilla planifolia since March 5^th. Vanilla grows in many parts of the world, like Madagascar, where its pollinators do not live. The vanilla we have is native to parts of Mexico. So it needs to be hand pollinated to produce fruits.

Flowers grow in clusters and a few open each day over about a 6 week period. The flowers are receptive to being pollinated for only 4-6 hours, generally in the early morning. I have been pollinating the flowers about 10am any day that I can get the lift and have access to open flowers. I have attempted pollination of 45 flowers since March 5 and it looks like there are at least a dozen pods that have formed!!! Yay!! Not fantastic odds but my goal was to get one pod---so I am doing OK!! This is the first time that I have had success pollinating vanilla! 

Go vanilla!!

- Gardener Margaret

#MMC100

The Conservatory has been around for 100 years! We know that everyone has a unique story and experience in this wonderful building, so now is your chance to share them! Use the hashtag #MMC100 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share your pics and experiences with us!

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory turns 100 this year! Use the hashtag #MMC100 to share your pics and experiences! pic.twitter.com/wfC8PYW9wm
— Como Zoo (@ComoZoo) March 9, 2015

Fox 9 Stops By To Visit Tropical Encounters!

Dale K and Fox 9 stopped by yesterday and learned about some of the amazing plants we have in Tropical Encounters!

Not only did he get a personal tour from Bryn, one of our Gardeners, but he also got a surprise visit from Zookeeper Bree and Chloe!

KMSP-TV

Como's Display at the Winter Carnival Orchid Show

Couldn't make it to the Winter Carnival Orchid Show this past weekend? Don't worry, here are some pictures from our amazing display! Thanks to our wonderful Gardeners for all of their hard work and Congratulations on all of your awards!

The Voodoo Lily is Blooming! Yes, it kind of stinks!

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 --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 in 2011? Yep! It was the Corpse Flower, Amorphophallus titanum, the cousin of the Voodoo Lily.

Come and see this fun plant in the Conservatory's North Garden.

Orange Is The New Red in the Sunken Garden!

The Holiday Flower Show tradition began in 1925 and continues to be the most anticipated and visited flower attraction at the Conservatory today. It is a visual sensation to behold featuring hundreds of poinsettias. Orange is the new red in the 2014 Holiday Show and will feature a new Poinsettia called Autumn Leaves, a beautiful mix of yellow and pink bracts.  The show will be complimented with the following Poinsettia cultivars:  Orange Spice, Maren, Marco Polo, Premium Apricot, and Sparkling Punch  to give the show more orange, pinks, cinnamon and apricot colors. The two toned yellow Coleus Wild Lime will accent the poinsettias.

The Bat Flower Is Blooming!

Come check out the Bat Flower or Tacca chantrieri in the Palm Dome! Known for its black color, this flower can grow up to 12 inches across and has long 'whiskers' that can go grow as long as 28 inches!

 The Bat Flower is native to tropical regions of Southeast Asia including Thailand, Malaysia, and southern China.

Beautiful Fall Colors in the Japanese Garden!

With the unseasonably warm weather we've been having, the Charlotte Partridge Ordway Japanese Garden is open later than usual and is offering breathtaking views!


KMSP-TV

New Addition in the North Garden!

We have a new addition to the North Garden, a Ma'afala Breadfruit Tree! We believe we are the northernmost Conservatory to feature this variety of Breadfruit Tree!

With this addition the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawaii receives a net licensing fee and, in turn, gives half of that fee to the Samoan government where the plant originated. Como is helping people halfway around the world through conservation!

Come See Our 2014 AAS Display Garden Landscape Design!

For the third year in a row Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is participating in the All-American Garden Landscape Design Contest! The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory received a third place award in 2012 and we are hoping that our 2014 garden display will once again be recognized.

Our display is located in front of the Visitor Center and surround the "Welcome" sign.

Some of the flowers displayed include:

Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'
Salvia 'Summer Jewel Red'
Zinnia 'Double Zahara Fire'
Zinnia "Profusion Double Hot Cherry'

What is an AAS Display Garden?

An AAS Display Garden provides the public an opportunity to view the newest AAS winners in an attractive well-maintained setting. Additionally, Display Gardens can provide educational programs about the AAS trialing and award process during "open house" or "field day" events during their peak growing seasons. If they choose, Display Gardens can participate in a Landscape Design contest using AAS Winners.

A typical Display Garden is a public botanic garden or arboretum, a municipality, a garden retailer, a university garden and many others.

The network of nearly 200 dedicated AAS gardens includes 55 locations that have served for 25 years or longer. The earliest AAS Display Garden, Norseco, Inc. of Quebec Canada became an AAS garden in 1962.