His Garden Re-Created
Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
April 25-June 15, 2008
The place where Charles Darwin spent the last 40 years of his life, observing and experimenting with plants in the gardens, greenhouses, and surrounding countryside of his home Down House in Kent, England, is the feature of the exhibition in the Conservatory, allowing visitors to see plants as Darwin did.
The focal point of the display is a set piece that echoes the characteristic architecture of Down House. Just outside the model is a reproduction of the flower garden--bursting with primroses and other seasonal favorites—tended by his wife, Emma. Darwin's greenhouse, its benches lined with carnivorous plants, is nearby, not too far from the kitchen garden where Darwin grew food for his table and flowers for his experiments. Off in the distance is the orchard where Darwin created a “weed garden”--a plot of earth that he cleared and allowed to regenerate on its own so that he could observe natural selection in action.
Darwin's work with the plants in his own garden proves that great ideas can come from careful observation of that which is most familiar.
Adventures in Adaptation
Bourke-Sullivan Display House
April 25-June 15, 2008
The Bourke-Sullivan Display House at the Nolen Greenhouses will present a special display of exceptional plants—from the unique to the sometimes bizarre—from the Garden’s diverse botanical collections, showcasing the marvels of plant evolution. Discover the wide range of adaptations that allow plants to survive in every imaginable environment from rain forests to arid deserts.
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