Conservatory
The Conservatory Chronicles                                                Issue 91, April 2015
COF whitewashing 2015A fresh new coat for the Conservatory
 
The Conservatory's getting a brand new coat of gleaming white frosting this month! By April 31st the entire greenhouse will be re-coated and brilliant white. 

The frosting, which resembles "liquid chalk" more than traditional paint, is brushed on by hand so as not to be applied too thickly. It dries on our glass panes and protects the plants inside from getting too much heat and sunlight. It looks fabulous from the outside, too!

Stop by soon for a visit, or join us on Thursday, May 7 for Gala Under Glass. You're sure to notice our refreshed "pearly whites" the moment you arrive.
Gala Under Glass  is on Thursday, May 7! 
Enjoy food, cocktails, live music and elegant decor "under glass" in the city's most dazzling nighttime venue. Don't miss this magical evening!
Gala Under Glass image
Photo by Lauren Cohn-Frankel Photography
Pygmy Date Palm in the Taube and Friend Families Palm Court in its 100th year with us 
 
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the donation of a Phoenix roebelenii, or pygmy date palm, to the Conservatory from the 1915 Pan Pacific International Exposition.

The palm, located in the Taube and Friend Families Palm Court area of our Lowlands Gallery, drops hundreds of tiny white flowers that blanket the gallery when in bloom.

Happy Anniversary to our beloved palm!
Stranded graphic square
Stranded!
Survival exhibit
opens May 8th
 
When that three hour boat tour goes horribly wrong and you find yourself washed ashore on a deserted tropical island, will you know how to survive?

Many a famous castaway has survived an unexpectedly long stay on a deserted island by lashing palm fronds together to build shelter, harvesting the clean water found inside bamboo, fashioning a snare from a vine, feasting on papayas and coconuts...

This lush exhibit will feature dozens of gorgeous palms and other tropical plants, hand-built thatched and bamboo structures, educational signage featuring "fun facts" and more, all presented with a lighthearted touch of "castaway kitsch". Find yourself Stranded starting on Friday, May 8!
The 2015 Gala Under Glass Patron Tea
Patron Tea 2015 
Photo credit: Rachel Bussieres/Drew Altizer Photography
On Thursday, April 9, the Gala committee held a lovely afternoon tea for patron-level ticket holders to our upcoming Gala Under Glass. Gala committee chair Martha Woollomes was on hand to greet Gala supporters, along with Conservatory Director Eric Andersen and Development Director Jane Scurich. Thanks to Loraine and Bert Fulmer for hosting this great event in their elegant Pacific Heights home!  
Cymbidium orchid
What's in Bloom?
Cymbidium orchids
Location: Potted Plants

Cymbidiums are native to lowland forests and temperate zones in Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Indonesia and Australia. 

While only 44 known species exist, there are thousands of hybrid varieties. Many of the showier hybrids, like the burgundy and yellow example shown here, have large striped petals and sepals, and a ruffled lip of a contrasting color. 

Vist our What's in Bloom page to see what else is blooming!
Conservatory of Flowers | 415-831-2090 | news@sfcof.org | http://www.conservatoryofflowers.org
Conservatory of Flowers 100 John F. Kennedy Drive San Francisco, CA 94118