What do you do if you are lucky enough to live near the Planting Fields Arboretum, Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY? You take a trip with a camera to see the plants under glass in February, There is snow and ice outside and the temperatures are below freezing, but inside the greenhouses there are fabulous collections of specimen Orchids, Camellias, Cactus, Begonias, Ferns, and tropicals in full bloom.
Spanish Moss hangs from tropical trees as in a dream.
Inside the Camillia House the original Camillia plants, collected by Mr. Coe are blooming.
According to the pamphlet at the main door," the Camillia House is the home of the largest collection of its kind under glass in North America."
The original plants were purchased by Mr. Coe in 1916.
The end wall is covered with Creeping Fig.
The Camillia collection begins to flower in late December, peaking the third week in February, and finishes up during March and into April.
Volunteer plants thrive.
It seems a shame that the lovely blooms fall to the ground under the Camillia trees, while they still look so alive.
Some specimen plants have flowers of varied colors on the same stem!
Clivias bloom against the outside walls.
What a wonderful Winter's day at the Planting Fields Arboretum New York State Historic Park. Click on photographs to enlarge.
9 comments:
Beautiful photos - I love the formal glass structures of the Arboretum, indoors and out doors! And, of course, the interiors make ideal lighting opportunities to photograph the unusual blossoms at their best.
I am more impatient than ever for Spring. We will have to tour the "Duke Foundation" greenhouses when you visit.
Makes me even MORE impatient for Spring. We will have to visit the Duke Foundation greenhouses when you visit.
Ah, a lovely sight for these winter eyes.
How wonderful! I so love to visit them this time of the year.You really had my attention with the Camellia room. I just love them and it is so wonderful to see so many in one spot. I wish they were a little more hardy so I could grow them in my zone 5.I so enjoyed your visit to the arboretum.They have so many more orchids than our conservatory. Beautiful!
Beautiful indeed!
Thank you for taking me along on your walking tour. I love doing things like that. I remember going to a big one in Vancouber BC and my hometown had a smaller one at a park.
We have a big pink camillia tree at our beach place. Don't know the name of it though.
Thanks for stopping by my blog! My fav pic is the delicate pink flower (fourth from last) whose name I do not know.
I bet it is warm in there too. It is wonderful that you can see these lovely flowers in the middle of winter.
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