through the biomes

There's been a lot of plant love around here lately.  Ani's been picking out plants for the porch and our small garden, and Eliza has become obsessed with succulents. Obsessed. So when our friends  Molly and Noah suggested a trip to the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, we jumped on it.  We'd never been there before, but had been talking recently about how much we missed being members of the botanical gardens in Richmond. Both girls have really fond memories of the paths and the pond and the magical journeys we used to have there. 

Franklin Park did not disappoint! The various indoor gardens are arranged in a circle, so you travel from biome to biome - through desert, rain forest, and Himalayan mountains, to the succulent and orchid gardens, the bonsai garden, the Pacific water gardens and the Palm house.

They were setting up an exhibit inspired by origami, by sculptor Kevin Box and collaborating artists, so every now and then we'd come upon an origami sculpture, made of metal.

Eliza in the desert

There is also an abundance of glass sculptures by the inimitable Dale Chihuly. 

So much to photograph! So many photographers!

We barely looked at the grounds, we spent so much time wandering the main house, but there were community gardens and French-inspired gardens and a bee garden...

So many colors and shapes, patterns, and textures.  We could have stayed so much longer - and used the sketchbooks we carted around - but we'll have to go back to soak it all in. We were pretty tuckered by the time we left, saving juuuuust enough energy for Jeni's ice cream on the way home. Lovely.