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January 12, 2015 · 9 Comments

In Praise of the Como Conservatory

Why We Garden

Winter Respite imageReaders of this blog know that I am a big fan of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park in St. Paul. During the coldest time of the year, I love to visit the conservatory to soak up the humidity and warmth as well as to admire the exotic plants.It’s a bit like taking a trip to the tropics, without leaving town.

This year happens to be the 100th anniversary of the conservatory at Como Park and so we decided to mark that event with an article in Northern Gardener. I was thrilled to be able to write this piece and show some of my photos of the conservatory. You can read the article online by clicking the image above, or you can see it in the January/February 2015 issue of Northern Gardener.

What’s your favorite way to get through the winter?

Related posts:

  1. Steam Treatment: A Visit to the Como Conservatory Maybe it was because I’m at the end of a...
  2. A One Hour Tropical Vacation Update from 2018: I have visited the wonderful Marjorie McNeely...
  3. U.S. Botanic Garden: The People’s Garden Give the Founding Fathers a lot of credit: Not only...
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Comments

  1. Amy Gage says

    January 12, 2015 at 3:45 pm

    I’m not a gardener, Mary, but I do enjoy your blog — and I have loved the Como Park Conservatory since I was a girl. Getting through the winter: For me it’s 100-degree, high-humidity classes at Core Power (sweating feels great!) and meeting my running buddy twice a week on the treadmills at St. Thomas, where we chat away the calories and the miles. I also like to bundle up and walk. And all of this allows me to eat the carbs and sweets that my body seems to crave during cold weather.

  2. Mary Schier says

    January 13, 2015 at 9:06 am

    Thanks for commenting, Amy! I have never tried high-humidity yoga, but any humidity in the winter is good.

  3. commonweeder says

    January 13, 2015 at 11:31 am

    I am fortunate to live close enough to UMass which has the Durfee Conservatory, Smith College with its Lyman Plant House and Mt. Holyoke College’s Talcott Greenhouse. The Bulb shows in March are gorgeous! But they are wonderful all the rest of the winter, and every season, as well.

  4. Abby says

    January 13, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    I LOVE the Como Conservatory. The Music Under Glass series they have going is the new favorite date night for my boyfriend and I. Such a nice change from the frigid outdoors!
    I’ve got a few posts over on my blog about the conservatory as well. I just can’t resist taking tons of pictures when I go. http://collegegardener.blogspot.com/2012/04/adventure-to-conservatory.html

  5. Mary Schier says

    January 20, 2015 at 8:22 am

    Thanks for sharing your posts, Abby! Como is a real gem. I know how you feel about taking photos there — can’t resist!

  6. Margit Johnson says

    January 23, 2015 at 9:48 pm

    Mary, you have captured in words and photos the essence of one of St. Paul’s crown jewels, the Como Conservatory. I have also enjoyed the relatively new addition with its high humidity, gurgling water, the slothful sloth hanging over its branch, and my favorite, the leaf-cutting ants and their fungal host!

  7. Mary Schier says

    January 25, 2015 at 9:21 pm

    Thanks, Margit! I’m going to have to check out the sloth!

Trackbacks

  1. A One Hour Tropical Vacation – My Northern Garden says:
    August 1, 2018 at 11:38 am

    […] Update from 2018: I have visited the wonderful Marjorie McNeely Conservatory many times since I wrote the post below. (Apologies for the tiny photos from 2008.) You can check out my article about the conservatory’s 100th anniversary here. […]

  2. New Shades of Holiday Poinsettias - My Northern Garden says:
    December 9, 2021 at 10:04 am

    […] In addition to the holiday flower show, the rest of the conservatory is a respite from our cold and snow. After walking around the main rooms, be sure to head down the hall to see the bonsai room that overlooks the lovely Japanese garden at Como Park. I make a visit to the conservatory most Januaries to get some humidity! You can read about the history of the conservatory here. […]

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