This Week at Phipps Feb. 27 –  March. 5

By Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

There's always something new to see and do at Phipps! This weekly blog post provides a run-down of the latest happenings so you can plan your visit. Events listed below require no advance registration unless noted otherwise. 

Open Daily: 

• Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show: Origin Stories
  Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show: Origin Stories is an experience filled with captivating displays of colorful orchids and exquisitely trained tropical bonsai specimens guide you through the origins of these fascinating plants.
•  BiblioBotany: The Work of Lisa Meek
  In our Welcome Center Gallery, Phipps is pleased to host the BiblioBotany sculptures of Lisa Meek who looks for symbolism in each page and flower she uses to encourage people to process ideas in new ways.
• Garden Railroad: Our National Parks
  Garden Railroad: Our National Parks pulls into the station with miniature recreations of the beautiful National Parks of the United States, bustling with chugging trains and filled with live plants.
• Tropical Forest Hawai‘i: Aloha ‘Aina
  Tropical Forest Hawai‘i: Aloha ‘Aina invites guests to take an exciting, immersive journey through the rich history, nature and culture of the Hawaiian archipelago. 
• Planets Earth Virtual Exhibit
  A dynamic exhibit at the Center for Sustainable Landscapes (and now online) addresses the pressing environmental issues of our time and proposes a new way of thinking about how to solve them.

Tues., Feb. 28:

• Botany for Gardeners | 6:30 p.m. –  9 p.m.
  Take a fascinating look at how plants grow. Topics will focus directly on botanical principles that relate to gardening: plants and their importance to man; stems, leaves and roots; factors affecting plant growth; reproduction; and fruits and flowers.

Wed., March 1:

• ​In-Person Story Time | 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
  Kids will love visiting Phipps to listen to our storyteller weave tales about gardens, fruits, vegetables, animals and other fun topics. Attend weekly sessions with a special child in your life!
• Plant Based Meal Prep: Succulent Soy | 6 p.m. –  7:30 p.m.
  In this class, we embrace the “cook once, eat twice” philosophy that is meal prep. We will spend an hour and a half preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner that can be stored and enjoyed for days. In this course learn how to make Bagel with tofu cream cheese, edamame salad, and teriyaki tofu stir fry.

Thurs., March 2: 

• Virtual Biophilia: What is a Sustainable Food System? | 6 p.m.
  Join us on Thurs., March 2 to learn about food systems. Food systems encompass all the pieces of what brings our food from the farm to our table We saw what can happen when a link in that process is affected like during the first months of the COVID pandemic. Can we avoid these problems in the future by working toward a sustainable food system? How do we do that? Each of us can play a part in this complex web we rely on. Food impacts all of us.

Sat., March 4:

• Botanical Drawing II: Volume, Texture and Details | 6 p.m. –  9 p.m.
  Continue to develop your observation and drawing skills to accurately render leaves, stems, roots and flowers in varying positions, capturing details and textures unique to the botanical subject
• A Celebration of Seeds: Eleventh Annual Seed and Plant Swap | 10 a.m. –  2 p.m.
  Join Phipps, Grow Pittsburgh and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for a day of free seeds, learning and fun to get your growing season started right.

Sun., March 5:

• Meet the Artist: Lisa Meek, BiblioBotany | 1 p.m. –  3 p.m.
  Meet the artist behind the thought-provoking exhibit BiblioBotany! Now on display in Phipps' Welcome Center Gallery

Photo ©  Paul g. Wiegman