This Week at Phipps: Feb. 10 – 16

By Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

There's always something new to see and do at Phipps! This weekly blog post provides a run-down of the latest happenings so you can plan your visit. Events listed below require no advance registration unless noted otherwise. 

Open Daily: 

• Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show: A Moment of Beauty
  Remedy Pittsburgh winter's chill will a visit to Phipps' stunning Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show: A Moment of Beauty! With all-new engaging displays guests will be immersed in room after room of ephemeral and entrancing nature. Join us for a respite from the cold and explore this warm oasis featuring a vast variety of orchids and classically trained bonsai.
• Tropical Delight: The Art of Deborah Sudran
  When you visit our Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show, enjoy the work of Deborah Sudran, a gifted painter who communicated her emotional response to nature with compelling color and powerful imagery.
• Garden Railroad: Movie Magic
  Garden Railroad: Movie Magic will allow guests to explore a bustling movie lot home to genres like fantasy, western, science fiction, horror and action with whimsical and interactive aspects! With an abundance of fascinating features surrounded by a beautiful plant palette, our Garden Railroad is sure to bring Hollywood magic to the glasshouse.
• Planets Earth Virtual Exhibit
  A dynamic exhibit at the Center for Sustainable Landscapes (and now online) addresses the pressing environmental issues of our time and proposes a new way of thinking about how to solve them.

Tues., Feb. 11:

• Canning Esstentials: Jams | 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
  In this hands-on workshop, Lexy Baird will lead the class through food safety for home canners through making and canning a variety of seasonal jams. Each participant will take home several samplings of the jams prepared in class. As a bonus we will also make whipped honey, another great addition to your next charcuterie board or great handmade gift for the holiday season. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Wed., Feb. 12: 

• In-Person Story Time | 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
  Kids will love visiting Phipps to listen to our storyteller weave tales about gardens, fruits, vegetables, animals and other fun topics. Attend weekly sessions with a special child in your life.
• Nature Talks: Inspiring Ideas and Community Conversation – Nature's Pharmacy with Dr. Quave | 7 – 8:30 p.m.
  Have you ever taken an aspirin? Thank a willow tree for that. Do you have a loved one who has fought cancer? Many of our most important cancer medicines originated in the yew tree, mayapple and Madagascar periwinkle. Plants are the basis for a vast array of lifesaving and health-improving medicines. Join ethnobotanist Dr. Cassandra L. Quave, as she shows us how important studying plants is while sharing her own incredible journey as told in her memoir A Scientist’s Quest for Nature’s Next Medicines.

Fri., Feb. 14:

• Valentine’s Night at Phipps | 5 – 10 p.m.
  Celebrate the most romantic night of the year in Phipps' historic glasshouse! On Fri., Feb. 14, Valentines Night at Phipps invites lovebirds to view the Conservatory illuminated in bright red, listen to classical music echo throughout the glasshouse and view gorgeous purple, pink and white orchids in our Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show: A Moment of Beauty. The first 100 couples to arrive at 5 p.m. or later can receive a complimentary rose and a Sarris chocolate treat by inquiring at our admissions desk.

Sat., Feb. 15: 

• Lovebirds – Exploring Bird Courtships, Tweeters and Cheaters | 8 – 9:30 a.m.
  Join us for a Valentine-themed talk about our feathered neighbors' romantic and scandalous dating life. Followed by a birding walk through Schenley Park. Some binoculars will be available, but supplies are limited. Make sure you dress for the weather and walking. 
• #bioPGH: Science Table Talks: Checking Out Chocolate | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  Could we consider chocolate to be the official food of Valentine’s Day? Beyond making a delicious gift on a lovey-dovey day, chocolate – or rather, the cacao tree – has some fascinating plant biology to explore! Come check out the chocolatey chemical compounds that truly tell our brains to be happy and explore the fruits, seeds and history behind this Valentine staple!

Photos © Paul Vladuchick