Pretty Pictures - The Volunteer Park Conservatory

I have spent quite a bit of time over the last week cleaning my kitchen, emptying all of the cupboards and drawers, cleaning and sorting and washing surfaces.  This morning I cleaned the refrigerator.  Now Tom is scrubbing the ceiling and walls in preparation for painting.

None of this is pretty, so instead I will post photos of the garden club field trip we took on Saturday.

Volunteer Park is an Olmstead Brothers designed park in Capitol Hill in the city of Seattle.  We met there and spent a bit of time enjoying some of what the park has to offer before visiting the conservatory.

This is an iconic photo in Seattle.  The sculpture is perched on a platform overlooking a reservoir high above the city center.  We called it the "Doughnut" or "The Tire" but it is actually called "Black Sun".  I know because I looked it up.  I'm not so sure I like the real name better. 

 It frames the Space Needle.

This old park has big old trees.

 Janet, Tom, Sherril and David posed for me so you can see the size of this "shrub". 

 The sculpture is across from the Asian Art Museum, a wonderful art deco building that used to house The Seattle Art Museum before a new building was built downtown. 

 Hellebores announce that even in winter, the soil nourishes life. 

 April was waiting for us at the conservatory.  It has been recently refurbished, but retains its Victorian grandeur. 

It was warm and moist inside.  It took a bit for my glasses and my camera to adjust. 

Lovely orchids were set off by glowing greenery. 

 Plants are BIG in here. 

 The cactus house is still being replanted, but there were some cool specimens. 

 A selfie in a gazing ball. 

We went on to the Arboretum Winter Garden, but I have already shown photos from our scouting visit there two weeks ago. 

We had lunch at Cafe Flora and enjoyed lots of good talk, from flowers to football. Everybody is talking football around here!