Matty and my parents, Jerry and Joni, stand outside the Krohn Conservatory. Tucked into Eden Park on a hillside that overlooks downtown Cincinnati, the Krohn Conservatory is a tiny gem that brightens many a grey winter's day in our town.
Christmas magic sparkles everywhere in our town, but it's especially manifest at the Krohn Conservatory. Where else can you find a towering poinsettia tree growing in natural splendor in the dead of winter?
Poinsettias of every color and style blanket the ground, looking especially festive under orange, kumquat, lemon and grapefruit citrus trees.
Matty in the desert room. When you're in the Krohn Conservatory you spend a lot of time looking up...and down...and around...there are so many unique plants and flowers to see.
Dad with his camera...gotcha!
Inside the glass and aluminum structure, cacti, succulents and other desert plants grow in warmth, while outside, snow falls. An empty picnic table at the base of a massive oak tree is beautiful surrounded by the stillness of a Winter Solstice snow...
Don't be fooled. They are smiling because visions of a Winter Solstice lunch at Maggiano's are going through their heads...
Mom wipes condensation from the glass to look out at a sparkling winter scene.
The conservatory looms behind a beautiful Nativity that has been a part of Cincinnati Christmases since 1939. Originally located in Lytle Park on Fourth Street in downtown Cincinnati, it was moved to the Krohn Conservatory in 1967.
More to come on the beauty of a Winter Solstice in Cincinnati...
Lovely visit with you Kelly.
ReplyDeleteThat Poinsettia is amazing.
What a beautiful post, Kelly! You have a lovely family. I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Christmas Kelly! I didn't know that Poinsettias grew that big! What an amazing place, and right in town. Then to see the size of the conservatory. Wow!
ReplyDelete...the poinsettia "tree" is really just stacks and stacks of poinsettia plants in pots put together to form a tree. It's been a tradition around here. I don't know if they do it elsewhere. The conservatory is amazing. It's so big. I'm so glad we have it, and it's always fun heading downtown. Eden Park is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteKelly, that conservatory is gorgeous, and what a wonderful way to celebrate the shortest day of the year. It must be delightful to come in out of the snow and feel like you have been transported to the tropics.
ReplyDeleteHere there was a solstice celebration on Saturday in downtown Fairbanks (a much tinier downtown than Cincinnati), but we do get very excited that we no longer are losing daylight. The weather forecast always includes how many minutes we have lost or gained from the day before, and now we will be hearing about minutes gained!
What a neat place to spend some time in the cold of winter!
ReplyDeleteThese photos are just beautiful!!!!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and your family Kelly!!!
I hope you and family enjoyed winter solstice, and you took some beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful place to go Kelly! Love those smiles from your parents and Matty :)
ReplyDeleteAs always, gorgeous photos! Also a great way to celebrate the day—family, food and nature!
ReplyDeleteThanks, kelly, for allowing us to share a visit with your family. The poinsetta "tree" is marvelous in red.
ReplyDeleteI have one near and was in it before it opened helping a frien who worked there witha project. We heard a big crash and a bannana tree had fallen over. I spent the rest of the day trying to think of what I could do with the trunk.
ReplyDelete((Happy Solstice)) I hope lunch was as nice as the anticipation of it! Haha.
ReplyDeleteWe used to go to Spain for christmas a few years ago and the poinsettias grow happily outside, in all manner of colours which took some getting used to at first! :D They were also displayed in a stack to look like large christmas trees.
Yea! Winter solstice! Its all downhill now, more light and more warmth......well eventually :-)
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great place to celebrate the Solstice. And you have snow! I'm so green with envy I'm looking like the Wicked Witch of the West. This is the first Winter Solstice in quite a while that I haven't been wandering a snow-covered landscape. **sniff**
ReplyDeleteSo how was lunch at Maggiano's?
Thank you for reminding me of that place. I've been to the Krohn but never in the winter. Typically for the Butterfly exhibit. I will have to go soon!
ReplyDeleteIs the Nativity a 'living nativity' ?
Memories...I forgot about Eden Park! When I lived in Cincy, I think I spent too much time working!
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas Kelly!
I like the idea of a special solstice celebration--yours sounds like fun. Gorgeous photos, as always!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely time you must have had with your parents. The poinsettia tree is beautiful!! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with joy, peace, happiness, and "lots of great photo ops". I look forward to viewing your blog in 2011.
ReplyDeleteKelly,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing these beautiful images. Your family is wonderful. You are so fortunate to be able to spend time with your parents.
I remember going to the Krohn Conservatory with my parents when I was a child. Kjell and I still visit the Conservatory often, but not this Christmas since we are out here floating around in the Caribbean. Thank you so much for sharing Krohn Christmas with us!
Merry Christmas!
Hugs,
Lois
...thanks, everyone! If you're near Cincy, make sure you visit the Krohn Conservatory. You will love it!
ReplyDelete...lunch at Maggianos was fab! They are known for cooking for special diets. Since I have Meniere's Disease (an inner ear disorder), I can't eat salt. The chef came out and discussed menu options. Can you believe that? He is German, so I spoke to him auf Deutsch. The food was wonderful.
...and yes, it is a "live" Nativity. I'll have a small post about that in a day or so.
Beautiful photos. All look so happy and wonderful. Good ideas for the trees. Your son very tall now and handsome. Hugs to all and Feliz Navidad with love and health. :)
ReplyDeleteHow fun. Looks like such a happy time! The poinsettia tree was stunning and I loved the ornaments. I would have plunked down a lot of money for ornaments like those...
ReplyDelete