Phipps takes visitors on walk through winter wonderland
PITTSBURGH – Visitors to Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park are discovering the magic of beautiful holiday songs interpreted in the 2003 Winter Flower Show. “Silver Bells’ with its emphasis on “City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style, in the air, there’s a feeling of Christmas’ finds itself in the recreation of Main Street USA in the conservatory’s Serpentine Room. The 1930s-40s storefronts are decorated with green wreaths and red bows while fir trees and holly bushes are festooned with bright lights as whimsical townspeople sit in front of a community Christmas tree.
“Let It Snow’ is given its place in the Sunken Garden, which becomes a room of red and white with colorful poinsettias, fir trees adorned with large white snowflakes and several large snowmen smiling hello to visitors.
And “I’ll Be Home For Christmas’ is a poignant song with special meaning this year that is represented in the Victoria Room, where a 22-foot fir tree is decorated in a patriotic way with 17,000 lights, 50 gold stars and 50 American flags.
Phipps outdoes itself once again in this beautiful winter show that features a variety of winter plants, including poinsettias, poinsettias and more poinsettias.
“We have nine new varieties of poinsettias this year,” said Phipps spokeswoman Pamela Reddy.
The names of these magnificent holiday flowers are just as beautiful as the blooms: Sonora Marble (pink and white), Freedom Fireworks (red), Champagne Punch (pink), White Star (white) and Silver Star Red are among the many varieties.
In fact, Reddy said the plants look so perfect that some visitors have asked if they are real. They are.
Planning for this show began about a year ago with poinsettia plants ordered in April. The education department researched material for signs throughout the show about the winter holidays and plants, such as “According to the National Christmas Tree Association, Americans buy 37.1 million live Christmas trees each year,’ and “Up to 70 percent of retail business may occur during the holiday shopping period.’
Information on the effort it requires the conservatory staff to put on the show is also included in the signs. “It takes 150 man hours to string the lights on the trees in the conservatory,” one sign readers.
Another sign reads “It takes over 2,000 man hours to install and plant the Garden Railroad,’ which is taking its place in the South Conservatory for the fifth year. The garden railroad, which is set up as a Western town this year, will remain in place until Feb. 22.
Look for the saloon, furniture and undertaking store, as well as the sheriff’s office among the buildings in Canyon City. There are 375 feet of track that carry four trains around the display.
Designer Nancy Vejlstrup, who also created the delightful 2002 Winter Flower Show: “Flower Fairies,’ used this year’s show to bring holiday songs to life. She set up several rooms to conjure images based on a variety of songs.
Interesting, the Serpentine Room’s Main Street USA carries off two holiday favorites that are marked on either entrance of the room. Besides “Silver Bells,’ the room borrows from “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.’
And if visitors look closely, they will notice the movie themes that Vejlstrup uses. For example, one of the buildings is the Bailey Savings & Loan from “It’s a Wonderful Life’ and another is the Higbee Department Store from “A Christmas Story.’
Visitors can see the poster advertising the “Red Ryder, America’s favorite air rifle’ that Ralphie wanted for Christmas in the store window. And don’t overlook a man sitting on a city bench, holding a box of chocolates, based on “Forrest Gump.’
Flowers and plants in the Serpentine Room include Red Twig Dogwood, cyclamen, fern, holly, ivy, kalanchoe and poinsettias.
The Palm Court is also decked out in winter finery with bright lights in the trees and poinsettias in the center of the room.
Ironically, these tropical plants and trees carry off the song “Winter Wonderland.’ (This is also the room where Santa and Mrs. Claus visited with children before Christmas.
Plants in this room associated with the show theme include asparagus fern, ivy, kalanchoe and poinsettias.
In addition to “Let It Snow,’ the Sunken Garden with its blast of winter white and holiday red also is the setting for another song “Marshmallow World.’ Besides those other decorations, this room displays a dusty miller plant, which looks like a green plant covered in snow. Other flowers and plants in the Sunken Garden include kalanchoe and poinsettias.
The Victoria Room with the patriotic Christmas tree also includes amaryllis, hyacinth and poinsettias. Visitors can look for the giant gold star on top of the tree that sits in a pool of dark water.
The Broderie Room also borrows from the opening stanza of “Silver Bells’ with the lines “Christmas may make you feel emotional, It may bring parties or thoughts devotional’ to create a chapel. Volunteers helped to create the stained glass on either side of the room. In the back, a choir in white robes sings while stars shine over their heads. The Broderie also includes amaryllis and poinsettias.
Finally, the East Room portrays a picture for “Home for the Holidays’ with a small pink house nestled beside a waterfall. The front yard boasts a swing in the tree. And everything is decorated with lights and poinsettias everywhere. Other flowers and plants include ageratum, amaryllis, Boston fern, hyacinth and holly.
Other rooms don’t have a holiday song theme but are decorated with winter flowers, such as poinsettias in the Fern Room and winter plants like kalanchoe in the Tropical Fruit and Spice Room where Reddy pointed out the abundance of fruits on the trees, like lemons and limes.
Only the Desert Room and the Stove Room do not carry elements of the winter show, but they are still fascinating to walk through. And the Gallery has been turned into a gift shop as the old entrance to the building is now closed as the conservatory is undergoing a $36.6 million expansion project.
Started this past September with an official groundbreaking, the expansion is expected to take 30 months and will include a new entranceway that has a gradually sloping walkway leading from Schenley Drive to a sunken, semi-circular plaza ringed by Romanesque pillars.
There will also be a 10,885-square-foot welcome center under a glass dome that includes a 75-seat casual dining restaurant, an expanded gift shop, visitors’ lockers, information desk, ticketing, elevator bank and restrooms. In addition, a multi-story grand staircase will connect the lower level plaza to the Palm Court.
Work is also slated to begin soon on a 12,000-square-foot Tropical Forest Conservancy that features a cascading waterfall spanned by a dramatic overhead catwalk. It will be approximately one and a half times larger than the existing Palm Court. Eight state-of-the art production houses will also be built.
Despite the expansion, visitors remain undistracted inside the conservatory. The pathway of viewing the rooms is changed with an entrance now inside the Fern Room. Visitors first stop at an outside admissions booth to buy tickets. The restrooms are now located behind the Desert Room. Visitors must pass through the room and go outside to reach them. The conservatory also has a new brochure to guide visitors.
“We want everyone to realize that even though there’s construction, we’re still doing all the flower shows and seasonal events,’ Reddy said.
That includes the beautiful candelight tours of the conservatory during the Winter Flower Show. The conservatory is now open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Dec. 30.
The candlelight tours include live musical entertainment from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. In addition, the conservatory hosts Family Fun Days with activities for children beginning today and lasting through New Year’s Eve from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. And the conservatory once again offers an opportunity to ring in the New Year on New Year’s Eve from 6 to 9 p.m. The conservatory offers an early countdown at 8:45 p.m. with hats and noisemakers that allows children an opportunity to enjoy all the fun that they may not be able to stay up for later. This celebration is included in admission to the conservatory. Call the conservatory at 412-622-6914 or check the Web site at www.phips.conservatory.org.