This Week at Phipps: Oct. 30 – Nov. 5

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: 

• COMING SOON: Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light Garden The holiday season isn't complete without a visit to Phipps, and on Fri., Nov. 17, Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light Garden will return to Phipps' glowing gardens. 
• NOW OPEN: Garden Railroad: Pennsylvania Through the Four Seasons
  Garden Railroad: Pennsylvania Through the Four Seasons will divide our miniature world of trains, buildings and landscapes into showcases of the four seasons as experienced in distinctive PA fashion, with a beach, a county fair and a bike trail among many other whimsical and interactive features. 
• Ikebana International Exhibit
  In this new exhibit in our Welcome Center Gallery, view gorgeous floral displays courtesy of the Ikebana International Pittsburgh Chapter. 
• Pittsburgh Botanic Garden's Native Plants 
  Currently on display at Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park, plant lovers of all ages can enjoy stunning illustrations of plants growing at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden's Native Plants is part of the Flora Project, a collaboration between Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden's Botanical Art and Illustration Program and the Allegheny Highlands Botanical Art Society.
• Tropical Forest Hawai‘i: Aloha ‘Aina
  Tropical Forest Hawai‘i: Aloha ‘Aina invites guests to take an exciting, immersive journey through the rich history, nature and culture of the Hawaiian archipelago. 
• 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.

Thurs., Nov. 2: 

• Virtual Biophilia: How Connecting to Nature Makes Children Happier, Healthier and Smarter | 6 p.m. 
  Join us Thurs., Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. to learn about the benefits of integrating nature into children's lives!
• Whimsical Watercolor Mushrooms | 6 – 7 p.m. 
  Join nature illustrator and author Rosalie Haizlett for a 90-minute, beginner-friendly class on how to paint a vibrant watercolor mushroom that can be found in the Central Appalachian region.
• ​Making Masterpieces from Mushrooms | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. 
  Let’s learn about the properties, process, and stamp mushroom designs with mushroom ink right from the Earth floor. 
  Each guest will take home a one of a kind stamped design (sheet of hand pressed mushroom paper) created with Ink Cap Mushroom ink.

Sat., Nov. 4: 

• Creating a Mushroom Garden | 2 – 4 p.m. 
  The class will cover the basics of fungal life cycles, inoculating and maintaining the bed, considerations for location, and harvesting.
• Botancial Drawing ll | 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
  Continue to develop your observation and drawing skills to accurately render leaves, stems, roots and flowers in varying positions, capturing details and textures unique to the botanical subject.

Photo ©  Paul g. Wiegman