This Week at Phipps: Nov. 11 – 17

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: 

• COMING SOON: Phipps Holiday Magic
  With a whimsical theme of “Enchantment”, guests are sure to be captivated by a forest of fantasy. Phipps has pulled out all the stops for this year's Winter Flower Show with magnificent new displays featuring mystical creatures, gorgeous holiday trees and our signature floral delights, including amaryllis, orchids and 21 varieties of poinsettias. Plus, the beauty isn't just indoors: our celebrated Winter Light Garden fills our outdoor spaces with spectacular lights in vivid shades that will awe guests of all ages.
• Garden Railroad: Movie Magic
  Garden Railroad: Movie Magic will allow guests to explore a bustling movie lot home to genres like fantasy, western, science fiction, horror and action with whimsical and interactive aspects! With an abundance of fascinating features surrounded by a beautiful plant palette, our Garden Railroad is sure to bring Hollywood magic to the glasshouse.
• Highlands Flora Project: Fraged Plants of Southwestern Pennsylvania 
  Now open in Phipps' Garden Center, plant lovers of all ages can enjoy stunning illustrations of foraged plants commonly found in southwestern Pennsylvania. Foraged Plants of Southwestern Pennsylvania is part of the Flora Project, a collaboration between Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ Botanical Art and Illustration Program and the Allegheny Highlands Botanical Art Society.
• 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.

Mon., Nov. 11: 

• Dried Flowers 101 and Making Your Own Bouquet | 6:30 – 8 p.m.
  Extend the season’s beauty by designing a dried flower bouquet for your home. All class flowers have been grown locally by your instructor, Collette Walsh, at Sol Patch Garden. Collette will also provide an overview of the flower drying process so you can begin planning your own cutting garden for next year. 

Tues., Nov. 12: 

• Tropical Plants in Watercolor | 6 – 9 p.m.
  This class will take a more expressive approach to botanical watercolors. We’ll work with different tropical plants each week. In this course, you’ll learn about several different watercolor techniques and work with the lush vivid colors of the tropics!

Wed., Nov. 13: 

• 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.
• Entertaining Made Easy: Mains and Sides | 6 – 7:30 p.m.
  Grab a beverage and tune in for this holiday inspired series. We will focus on show-stopping dishes that can be prepared in advance with easy finishing touches so hosts can spend time with their guests while still blowing them away at the table. Each week features a different course of a traditional holiday meal. Make everyone say wow without breaking a sweat!

Thurs., Nov. 14:

• Houseplants 101 | 6:30 – 8 p.m.
  Whether you just bought your first plant or can’t decide, join this fast and fun overview of how to care for houseplants. All the fundamentals are covered, including sensible plant selection for your lighting conditions, watering, fertilizing, grooming and troubleshooting. Learn through pictures and diagrams to nurture your green thumb into bloom.
• Kokedama | 6:30 – 8 p.m.
  Kokedama is a Japanese garden art that is often known as “poor man’s bonsai”, translated in English means “moss ball”. Learn how to select the best plants for making a kokedama, what materials you need, the method for wrapping your plant and how to care for your kokedama. You will be assembling two kokedamas to take with you. 

Fri., Nov. 15:

• An Enchanted Winter's Eve | 6:30 and 7:30
  Phipps Conservatory kicks off the holiday season in grand style with An Enchanted Winter’s Eve. Experience the breathtaking debut of our winter show, Phipps Holiday Magic, and witness the unveiling of our newly restored glasshouses, now fully illuminated in their iconic beauty.

Sat., Nov. 16:

• #bioPGH: Science Table Talks: Owl of the Sudden...It's Owl Breeding Season in Western Pennsylvania | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  WhOoOoOo knew learning about native owls could be so fun? November is peak owl breeding season, so let’s explore our native owls, dissect some owl pellets and meet experts on how these adorable birds live in Western Pennsylvania!

Photos © Paul g. Wiegman