The Volunteer Park Conservatory, final edition

We’ve previously visited the desert wing and the bromeliad wing at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory. Now it’s time to wrap things up with the rest of the building.

For some official background info I visited their website: “the Conservatory, a Victorian greenhouse modeled on London's Crystal Palace, stands at the north end of Volunteer Park, designed by the Olmsted brothers, in Seattle's north Capitol Hill neighborhood. Professional horticulturists with the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation care for the Conservatory's collections, including bromeliads, palms, ferns, cacti, and seasonal display plants. As a registered US Fish and Wildlife repository for confiscated plants, the Conservatory also acquires, quarantines, and later displays restricted orchids, cycads, and other plants seized by USFW agents.” Aha! So if I had purchased that Schefflera taiwaniana in Vancouver, BC and got it confiscated at the border crossing maybe I could have later visited it here at the Conservatory!

Since we visited way back in October things were looking a little fall-like in the seasonal display area.

I am always amazed when plants end up behind bars.

Their collection of Brugmansia was putting on quite the floral show.

I’m happy to see plain old Sansevieria finally getting a little time in the spotlight.

Golden Birdsnest Sansevieria (Sansevieria trifaciata ‘Golden Hahnii’)

Who isn’t fascinated by Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes), these were labeled as Nepenthes carunculata.

Another irresistibly freaky flower…Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia).

As you wander through the building you are surrounded by so much lush fabulous foliage…

Alocasia odora.

Rattlesnake Plant (Calathea lancifolia) from Brazil. Doesn’t it look like someone painted leaves on the leaves?

Dioon spinulosum.

Back outside we decided to take advantage of the bright sunny day and climb to the top of the Observation Tower, this is what it looked like in 1909.

And this is what it looks like today, things have grown a bit!

The view from the top out toward Puget Sound and the Space Needle.

And downtown Seattle.

Volunteer Park is a gem. Having lived in an apartment a block away I spent many a sunny afternoon in the park. Funny thing, I never realized it was an Olmstead Park until this visit when we stopped to read the signs inside the tower. One of them was a quote from the Olmsteads: “the different parks of the city should not be made to look…like each other…but on the contrary every advantage should be taken…to give each one a distinct individuality of its own”

Volunteer Park is also home to the old Seattle Art Museum, a beautiful deco building. But that’s a subject for a different blog.