This Week at Phipps: Oct. 9 – 15

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: 

• NOW OPEN: Fall Flower Show: Hometown Harvest 
  Fall Flower Show will captivate visitors of all ages, allowing you to reminisce about your favorite fall memories while creating new ones here at Phipps. The fall show lasts for just three weeks — don’t miss this wonderful celebration of the season!
• NOW OPEN: Garden Railroad: Pennsylvania Through the Four Seasons
  Garden Railroad: Pennsylvania Through the Four Seasons will divide our miniature world of trains, buildings and landscapes into showcases of the four seasons as experienced in distinctive PA fashion, with a beach, a county fair and a bike trail among many other whimsical and interactive features. 
• Ikebana International Exhibit
  In this new exhibit in our Welcome Center Gallery, view gorgeous floral displays courtesy of the Ikebana International Pittsburgh Chapter. 
• Pittsburgh Botanic Garden's Native Plants 
  Currently on display at Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park, plant lovers of all ages can enjoy stunning illustrations of plants growing at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden's Native Plants is part of the Flora Project, a collaboration between Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden's 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., Oct. 9: 

• Baking with Herbs: Tea Cakes and Herbal Teas | 6 – 7:30 p.m.
  Learn to easily create herbal infusions that add unique flavor, interest and intrigue
• Secret History of Plants (Phipps Walking Tour) | 6:30 – 8 p.m. 
  We’ll stroll through Phipps’ collection and discover how plant and human interactions have shaped our world in surprising ways.

Tues., Oct. 10:

• Bouquet Design Series: Tropical Bouquet | 6:30 – 8 p.m. 
  In this bouquet class we will use skills learned in previous bouquet sessions to construct a modern tropical botanical bouquet, highlighting some of your most favorite tropical plants you will find walking around Phipps Conservatory.
• Ecology and the Designed Landscape | 7 – 9 p.m. 
  Students in this course will explore the basics of plant ecology and the plant communities of western Pennsylvania and then learn to apply these ideas to the designed landscape.

Wed., Oct. 11:

• ​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!
• The Hidden Kingdom | 7 – 8 p.m. 
  This Kingdom Fungi is estimated to contain 2.2-3.8 million species, an enormous range of taxa that includes yeasts, molds, rusts, and mushrooms. This presentation will give an overview of these organisms, their historical depictions and the many ways they shape the world we experience every day.

Thurs., Oct. 12: 

• Compassion, Nature and Regeneration: A Meditation, Way of Life and Discussion | 9 – 11 a.m. 
  The program includes a guided meditation led by American physician and Buddhist monk, and personal physician to the Dalai Lama, Barry Kerzin and a joint presentation with Phipps' President and CEO Richard Piacentini.

Photo ©  Paul g. Wiegman