Main Greenhouse - Chrysanthemum Display Gardens & Grounds - Evergreens, conifers, cypres November is a month of contrasts. Vibrant blue skies are followed by dreary gray ones, leafless tress stand guard over brightly berried shrubs, and the autumn chill of the fresh air outside turns suddenly to pleasant warmth as you enter the greenhouses at Planting Fields. As the leaves fall from the ornamental trees and shrubs in the SYNOPTIC GARDEN, and the bright colors vanish for the winter, we can enjoy the showy fruit that remains. The HOLLY COLLECTION just beyond the SYNOPTIC GARDEN is glorious with its glossy green leaves and variety of colored berries. The evergreens in the newly renovated DWARF CONIFER GARDEN and on the CONIFER TRAIL become more dominant features of the landscape as the deciduous plants recede. Be sure to note the deciduous conifers that drop all of their needles at once in the fall, even though they bear their seeds in cones as do the evergreen conifers. The Metasequoia glyptostroboides, or Dawn Redwood, grows across the service road and up the gravel path from the DWARF CONIFER GARDEN. This tree was believed to have been extinct, known only from fossil records dating back 200 million years, until it was found growing in China in the late 1940’s. Our specimen, and other you may see in this country, have been grown from Chinese seeds and are relatively young. They are related to the Giant Redwoods of California and have small plated cones. Other deciduous conifers at Planting Fields include two Golden Larch and a number of Bald Cypresses. One Golden Larch, Pseudolarix amabilis, native to the Orient, is located at the beginning of the MAIN DRIVE opposite the AZALEA WALK.The other grows beside the path from the second parking lot to the SOUTH RHODODENDRON PARK. The Bald Cypresses, Taxodium distchum, are found in Section “T” of the SYNOPTIC GARDEN. After you walk through the gardens, the warmth of the MAIN GREENHOUSE is a welcome change. Many interesting greenhouse collections offer added interest during the winter months. The first house you enter has a collection of Bromeliads worth noting. These are jungle plants, thriving in warm, moist areas. Many are epiphytic, living high in the trees, taking nutrients from the air. Pools of water collect in the center of some plants, supporting unique ecosystems, complete with insects, other plant life, and even frogs that can only exist within the bromeliad cups. To the left is the ORCHID COLLECTION. Orchids are also epiphytic plants. The pots they grow in do not contain soil, but bark, which provides support for the plant and its large air roots. Notice the range of size of both the plants themselves and their blossoms. Some plants have single blooms, while others have exotic sprays. The colors are as varied as the sizes. The CACTUS and SUCCULENT HOUSE back behind the ORCHID HOUSE. As you enter, the plants on the right are native to the Old World. Those planted in the bed in the center and those on the benches on the left are from the New World. Most come from dry, sunny areas. It would be hard to find a group of plants with more bizarre and fascinating adaptations to their environment as evidenced by their singular appearance. Growing and flowering cacti and succulents well is one of the most challenging forms of horticulture. On the other side of BROMELIAD HOUSE, you will find the BEGONIA and FERN COLLECTIONS. Begonias are remarkable for the variety of sizes, textures, and colors of their leaves. They can become a complete preoccupation for the growers who love them. Ferns, with their subtle green beauty, also have great diversity in shape, form, and habitat. The MAIN CONSERVATORY contains a cheerful display of Chrysanthemums that bloom until the last week of November. They are the most popular flower in the world, particularly in the Orient. The ones on display here are derived from Japanese and Chinese varieties. Planting Fields staff is always experimenting with new and improved varieties. Chrysanthemums begin to flower as the days begin to grow shorter in the fall. They are not hardy in this climate and demand a great deal of light. Their light needs are so specific that, with time and effort, horticulturists can program different cultivars to flower at the same time by adjusting the hours of light. Before you leave the ARBORETUM CENTER, look at the exhibits in the hallway and visit the newly renovated GARDEN GIFT SHOP. As you drive the past the admission booth on your way out of the Arboretum, notice the colorful purple, green, and white leaves of the “flowering” cabbage and kale, Brassica oleracea var. The decorative colors are really in the leaves, not the flowers. These plants, grown for fall display, are started from seed in July. They reach full size in October. Botanically, kale is curly leaved form of cabbage, the oldest vegetable known to man, and the most varied. It is native to the sea cliffs of southern and western Europe, including the chalk cliffs of the English Channel. Few would recognize the flat rosettes of these wild plants as the ancestors of many of our modern vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, rutabaga, and of course cabbage. Arboretum Highlights can be picked up in the Visitor Center located at the Main Greenhouse.