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Conservatory Chronicles 5
  Issue #22                                                                                                                           August, 2009
In This Issue
New Exhibit Now Open
Visit Us
Donate Now!
Purchase a Jungle Pass for unlimited admission
New Website Launched!
What's in Bloom?
Super Summer Sale
New Golden Gate Park Shuttle Service Now Available
NEW EXHIBIT NOW OPEN
Edible Expedition Banner
Food Goes Wild
in a New Exhibition
about Edible Plants
 
May 7 - November 1 
 

Visit Us
Reflections
Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday, 9am - 5pm (last entry is at 4:30pm)
The Conservatory is closed Mondays.
The Conservatory is open all holidays except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Please note that on Sundays and all major holidays, Golden Gate Park closes many of its roads to all vehicle traffic
Information line:
415-831-2090
Admission:
$5.00 for Adults
$3.00 for Youth 12-17, Seniors 65 & over, and Students with ID
$1.50 for Children 5 - 11
FREE for Children 4 and under
The Conservatory is free to all visitors on the first Tuesday of every month.
Accessibility:
The Conservatory Of Flowers is wheelchair accessible for both motorized and non motorized chairs. Handicap permit parking is located at the east side of the building and also on John F. Kennedy Drive in front of the Conservatory. Strollers are not allowed in the Conservatory.

Donate Now!
Purple orchid photo by Todd Worley

 Your donation will help ensure the continued growth and success of this unique educational and historic living museum. 
Click here to make a donation through our secure online form.  
Jungle Pass
ANNUAL PASS
UNLIMITED VISITS

The Jungle Pass admits two adults and two children for unlimited visits to the Conservatory. To purchase your pass, click here.

CONSERVATORY
PARTNERS
 
Founding Partners 
Urban Farmer Store 
 
Join Our Mailing List 
Dear ,
 
Once Upon a Time, 13 Decades Ago....
 
On a recent trip back to Michigan I was able to return to one of my favorite parks and encountered a very fun but meaningful historical coincidence.  I was taking pictures of beautiful vistas throughout the rolling landscapes of the park as well as particularly picturesque trees.  From a distance I captured the majestic stature of a gigantic white oak tree.  Upon approaching this enormous botanical specimen, I realized that there was a tree identification tag adorning its furrowed bark at my shoulder height.  As I was reminded of the scientific name of the oak, Quercus alba, I also noticed a worn, but legible date of its ceremonial planting.  In 1879, a group of the park's neighbors had planted the tree and gifted it to future generations, decade after decade of shade, food for the squirrels and a gorgeous presence befitting of any world-class arboretum.
 
1879, I thought....hmmmmm, that happens to be the same year that the Conservatory of Flowers was opened to public within Golden Gate Park.  What a fun coincidence!  Here in a very special part of a west Michigan public park grows a horticultural hero that countless people have enjoyed for 130 years.  And across the country, some 2,400 miles away, the Conservatory of Flowers continues to stand proudly above Conservatory Valley, opening its doors to hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. This year we celebrate the Conservatory's 130th anniversary of the sharing of its unrivaled tropical plant collections with our guests who range from Golden Gate Park neighbors to tourists from literally every country of the world.
 
Join us as we mark the thirteen decades of the Conservatory of Flowers' proud presentation of a most unique, inspirational and enlightening horticultural experience...it is a jungle in here!   Thanks for your continued support...and please make plans to visit us often in the coming months.

Brent's signature
 
Brent Dennis
Director
NEW WEB SITE LAUNCHED ON AUGUST 1!
 
 
Our long awaited and much anticipated website is a reality!  Conservatory of Flowers homepageWe hope you will visit the Conservatory of Flowers web site often as we offer frequent updates regarding our plant collections, upcoming events, and volunteer opportunities.
 
We are extremely grateful to the Taproot Foundation for helping us to realize our dream for a new web site. Michelle Dunn served as Account Director and the Services Grant Team Members included:
Please send your thoughts about our new web site and your suggestions for future improvements to our web site administrator.
WHAT'S IN BLOOM AT THE CONSERVATORY?
 
CLERODENDRUM SPECIOSISSIMUM - PAGODA FLOWER 
 
The Conservatory's Clerodendrum speciosissimum, (also commonly known as the Pagoda Flower) recently found a new 'home' directly across from the Potted Plants Gallery! The Clerodendrum, which has been in the Conservatory's collection for decades, is the happiest it has ever been and is in constant bloom! Native to India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, the Clerodendrum thrives in warm and humid climates and can grow up to 6 feet tall. The Clerodendrum speciosissimum is known for producing long, elegant strands of bright orange-red flowers, that demands attention from everyone in the room! To see this tropical beauty at her best, visit the Conservatory today! 
 

SUPER SUMMER SALE IN THE GIFT SHOP
 
Conservatory Fleece
 
Can summer really be almost over? The Conservatory of Flowers Gift Shop will be hosting an Adult Apparel Sale to make room for our beloved Golden Gate Express Garden Railway Exhibit merchandise (opens November 19th, 2009)! Featured items include the cozy Golden Gate Park sweatshirts, as well as Conservatory branded T-Shirts, Polo's and Fleece Vests! The Adult Apparel Sale began July 26th. Please stop by today to pick up that perfect gift for you and your garden lover! 
 
 
Golden Gate Park Sweatshirt- NOW $29.99
COF T-Shirts- NOW $10.95
COF Polo's- NOW $18.95
COF Fleece Vest- NOW $20.95
To order online Click here.
Have you tried the new shuttle service in Golden Gate Park?  
 
Additional Parking for the California Academy of Sciences, de Young Museum, Conservatory of Flowers, and SF Botanical Garden is available on the Great Highway. There is now shuttle service on Saturdays, Sundays, and major holidays from there to locations throughout Golden Gate Park.
 
From Westbound on Lincoln Way
Follow Lincoln west all the way to the Great Highway (approximately 1.5 miles), turn right and park along the beach. The shuttle stop is located at the Ocean Beach parking lot. Look for the large, green shuttle stop sign.
 
From Westbound on Fulton St.
Follow Fulton west all the way to the Great Highway (approximately 1.5 miles), turn left and park along the beach. The shuttle stop is located at the Ocean Beach parking lot. Look for the large, green shuttle stop sign.
 
Shuttle Service (Look for the black Bauer's shuttle bus.)
The shuttle costs $2.00 for an all-day, round-trip pass. Exact change is required. Children under 3 and those with ADA needs ride free. The shuttle runs between 9 am and 6 pm every 15 - 20 minutes.
 
This shuttle is ADA accessible and runs on alternative energy (CNG). The $2.00 fare cannot be applied to a transportation rebate at the California Academy of Sciences, the de Young Museum or the Conservatory of Flowers.
 
Click here for a route map.