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Walk into the majestic floral showroom and revel in the intricately designed Cincinnati theme and laced with lush green foliage, beautiful red poinsettias, holiday trees and, of course, the unforgettable train displays.
Krohn Conservatory opened in 1933 and is located in Eden Park. The land in the park used to belong to Nicholas Longworth and he called it his Garden of Eden. The conservatory has many features in a style called Art Deco that was very popular in 1933.The railings in the front lobby feature pictures in the metal that is an art deco style.
FERN HOUSE
Plants in this house include microscopic algae in the pools, tiny mosses and liverworts covering the moist rocks, and ferns and seed plants springing from the soil. About 300,000 types of plants have been identified in the world. Botanists estimate that there are at least 50,000 more species to be discovered. Ferns reproduce by spores that look like bumps on the back of the fern fronds or leaves.
A tropical rain forest is recreated in this house. Precipitation in such a forest may total 160 inches yearly, as compared to 40 inches annually in Cincinnati. Tropical plants must quickly shed water from their leaves in order to prevent harmful growths of bacteria and fungi. Look at the trees overhead and note that many of the leaves covered with a water-repelling wax surface. Sometimes the shape of the leaf will allow water to drip off easier.
Most of the plants in this house are from desert regions that receive less than 10 inches of precipitation (rain) a year. That is one-fourth of the yearly amount that falls in Cincinnati. So how many inches of rain do you think we would get in Cincinnati? Many desert plants have accordion shaped ridges so that the plant can shrink during drought and expand when the rains come.
Orchids range widely over the world, living everywhere except in deserts and on glaciers. The shortest species is one-quarter-inch high with flowers one-hundredth-inch in diameter. The tallest freestanding orchid is 45 feet high with flowers 6 inches in diameter. Perfume manufacturers seeking new fragrance chemicals frequently analyze the floral scents of orchids. Seeds of the vanilla orchid provide a popular food flavoring. Mostly, however, orchids have been extensively cultivated for the enjoyment of their blooms, leading to the production of numerous horticultural varieties.
Bonsai (pronounced bone-sigh) is a Japanese term for woody plants that have been creatively miniaturized. The art of making bonsai originated in China about 2,000 years ago and is now practiced throughout the world. Bonsai are kept small through pot confinement along with branch and root pruning. Wire wrapped around branches holds them in place until they grow into desired shapes
In addition to hosting five seasonal floral shows, this house contains a permanent citrus tree collection. Among the trees here are orange, lime, lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, and kumquat. Though the exact locations of origin of citrus trees are not known, it is believed that they began to be cultivated around 8,000 years ago in Southeast Asia.
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