Pic-of-the-Day, 10/3/11

The Bird of Paradise spathe and flower shown above is fascinating, but you're very unlikely to see one in this area. That's because it's native to South Africa. It needs lots of heat and can't tolerate cold, and thus would be extremely difficult to grow around here. In the U.S., you'll see them in abundance in southern Florida and southern California, and a few other parts of the deep south.

So, how did I manage to get a nice pic of one? That's easy, Longwood Gardens grows them in their conservatory! Longwood Gardens has been one of my favorite places on earth since college. It's in Kennett Square, PA and its web site is http://www.longwoodgardens.org/.

Its conservatory alone has 4.5 acres of display space. Overall, Longwood Gardens covers more than 1,000 acres, displays 11,000 different types of plants, and includes 40 separate gardens. Last I knew, it's handled by 160 gardeners.

So, it's a wonderful place for a day trip. I try to get there once a year, usually for a 2-day visit.