Cherry Ong is taking us along on more of her visit to Centennial Park Conservatory outside of Toronto. She visited in March, when it was still snowy outside but full of life and beauty inside.
Featured in the tropical greenhouse were these gorgeous botanical mannequins wearing beautiful gowns of living plants.
This mannequin’s dress is made of sturdy succulents, and the hair is Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides, Zones 7–12).
This one changes it up, with sedum hair and a scarf of Spanish moss draped around its neck. Succulents and airplants like Spanish moss are great choices for this kind of living sculpture, as they’ll thrive with little soil (or no soil at all in the case of airplants), so the whole structure can be lighter and easier to work with.
I think this is the cardboard cycad, Zamia furfuracea (Zones 10–12). It is endangered in its native Mexico, but popular as a houseplant or greenhouse plant.
The viciously spiny trunk of floss silk tree (Chorisia speciosa, Zones 10–12)
This explosion of lush, tropical growth is perfect for escaping the Canadian winter.
Screwpine (Pandanus tectorius, Zones 10–12) is growing into a living sculpture in the greenhouse.
Though it was still cold out, these metal sunflowers were blooming outside the conservatory.
Back inside, numerous flowers were tucked in amid the tropical foliage. Tall amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrids, Zones 9–12) flowers here look right at home.
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