Very different greenhouses

As I mentioned on Monday, we somehow missed the orchid, fern, and carnivorous plant greenhouse when visiting the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley last March, we did however make it into the newly reopened Virginia Haldan Tropical House...

"Closed since 2020, when the exterior was reskinned, the Garden launched a successful $1.3 million fundraising effort to complete the vibrant, reimagined interior designed by renowned landscape architect Ron Lutsko, Lutsko Associates. This beautiful redesign fulfills our goals to create a larger pond, better visitor flow throughout the space and the ability to engage more with the plants. All within a 40 x 40-foot space." (source)

I wasn't able to find a label on this epiphytic fern, but it looks to be an aglaomorpha / drynaria... aka basket fern.

Anemia phyllitidis, aka flowering fern because of their fertile fronds that someone thought resembled a flower spike.

Macleania pentaptera, aka tropical blueberry.

The living wall, with its waterfall flowing into a large pond, was definitely the showpiece of the tropical house.

Costus barbatus, blooming in front of the wall.

The garden's website notes that "The living wall is a stunning, two-sided display of plants that creates an opportunity to show the evolution of land plants. In support of this educational focus, Garden staff will continue to refine and update the plantings with a goal to replace the commonly cultivated materials with plants from the Garden’s collections. We hope to eventually incorporate everything from tropical mosses to our own tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes)." (source) I appreciate that description notes the garden staff's involvement. Hopefully that means it will stay looking this fresh and full, unlike many living wall displays.

Huperzia squarrosa / Phlegmariurus squarrosus

I could make guesses at some of the species used in the wall, but they would only be guesses.

Side view...

And the back... 

The label says "Orchid cactus, Epiphyllum sp."

That's a colorful begonia!

This next greenhouse belongs to a man named Mike Clifford. He lives in the UK and runs Mike's Rare Plants. I wanted to share this photo (borrowed from Mike's Facebook page) because I love the idea of a shelf along the outside of your greenhouse, what a fun display space!

Next up are a few greenhouses on a property I visited a couple of weeks ago. The owner toured a couple of us around, and then disappeared. I had to leave and didn't get a chance to ask permission to use the photos here on the blog, so I'm not naming the who or the where.

I find all styles of greenhouses incredibly inspiring. How do people go about putting them together (if they're not a professional build)? What do they keep inside? Are they spotless and organized? Or a crazy jumble of treasures?

I love the passionflower gone wild in this one.

And the other plants too, of course.

The property included these smaller houses.

A peek inside one of them...

Next up is this...

There's the house it belongs to.

No, I didn't get to go inside, and yes, it looks to be empty.

Well, mostly empty, certainly not in use.

The house dates to 1926, I found this on Wikipedia: "The Joseph R. Bowles House is a house located in southwest Portland, Oregon, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Bowles house is a 4,959 sq. ft. two-story reinforced concrete building with Spanish tile roof and Italian marble columns. The house is an example of 1920s craftsmanship wherein expense was no barrier." A couple other sources I looked at listed the square footage of the house at 11,267. So there most have been an addition at some point. I wish I knew the story behind the greenhouse! 

Of course I also wish I could get up there and see it in person!

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