Missouri
Botanical Garden
4344 Shaw Blvd.
314-577-9400
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Brian LeDoux, exhibit designer, carefully positions a Wahs of Tobom, one of nearly fifty elflike creatures that appear in the Enchanted Forest at the Missouri Botanical Garden. © 2003 Bob Moore, SLFP.com
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An Enchanted Forest Appears At the Garden
by Bob Moore, SLFP.com
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), January 29, 2003 - The "Enchanted Forest" orchid show at the Missouri Botanical Garden features dozens of tiny wizards and fairies among nearly 700 exotic orchid plants with thousands of fragrant and colorful blooms. The exhibit opens on Saturday, February 1, 2003 and continues from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through March 16 in the Orthwein Floral Hall of the Ridgway Center.
Visitors to the annual show will see orchids from the Garden's award-winning collection of approximately 10,000 orchid plants which represent some 3,500 species. On Wednesday, Garden staff and volunteers were carefully positioning tiny elflike figures among the lush foilage.
Brian LeDoux, exhibit designer, commented that the Garden has always had a theme for the shows in order to add extra interest. "I've been with the Garden for the past twenty-seven years and we've always had a theme. The theme should not be the main thing that you are aware of when you walk in the door," said LeDoux.
"The theme supports the orchids and they are what the show is about. Sometimes the theme is just the setting. In this case, there are not a lot of props, just little people that live here," noted LeDoux with a smile. "The wahs and the fairies are tiny and so they interact with the orchids."
He said that for some shows, they've had buildings and structures that have become display backgrounds for the orchids. However, for this particular show, LeDoux acknowledged that the similarity between the theme of an enchanted forest and the newly release Harry Potter film was probably just a coincidence.
"We were dreaming up these little characters several years ago and were trying to figure out what to do with them. We totally invented this group. The little men that you see around who look kind of grizzly are the Wahs of Tobom. And, it's not a querk of fate that they look like me in some cases with a monk's robe," added LeDoux.
He noted that the fairies look like typical fairies in a pretend world. "The magical, mystical land that we've dreamed of was to attract children to the show a little bit. We thought they might have fun searching out and finding these little creatures," said LeDoux.
The tiny creatures seem to emerge from beneath blooms and leaves as they busily water, prune, stake and feed the exotic orchids in their care. Others fly by on tiny wings, while a few shy ones remain partially hidden in trees and cavelike dwellings.
"I write a script for all of these shows," added LeDoux. "Basically I have to plan it out so I know how many things are happening and what I want to tell in the story. It's not done in steps, but visitors should get the idea as they walk through the room."
Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for seniors, in addition to regular Garden admission. Members and children age 12 and under are admitted free of charge.
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Exploring the Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden, fondly known as Shaw's Garden to St. Louisans, contains a formal English garden, traditional Japanese garden, Margaret Blanke Grigg Chinese garden, the Flower Trial Garden, greenhouses and extensive landscaping. The garden also features the Climatron Complex, water lily reflection ponds and the William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening.
The Climatron® geodesic dome and rainforest conservatory was dedicated 40 years ago in October 1960, replacing an old house built in 1913. The structure incorporates principles established by innovative architect R. Buckminster Fuller and was the first application of geodesic engineering for a greenhouse. The St. Louis architecture firm of Murphy & Mackey developed plans for the facility with Garden director Frits W. Went, who coined the term, Climatron.
The dome is 70 feet high and 175 feet in diameter, permitting tall palm trees to tower majestically above the tropical vista of streams, waterfalls and 1,200 different species of exotic trees and plants. Temperature ranges from 64 to 74 degrees and average humidity is 85 percent.
Visitors can enjoy a sense of being in a jungle while making their way by orchids, passion flowers, hibiscus flowers, cycads and a number of endangered species. In 1976, the dome was named one of the 100 most significant architectural achievements in United States history.
The Garden, covering 75 acres, is located at 4344 Shaw Blvd, just south of Hwy 44 between Vandeventer and Grand. Extended summer hours are 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Free parking on premises, as well as an extensive gift shop and restaurant with patio dining. Call GardenLine at 314-577-9400 or 800-642-8842.
Archived Pages:
Missouri Botanical Garden Announces $8.35 Million to Support Neighborhood Economic Redevelopment
Best of Missouri Market
Japanese Festival Celebrates 'Gingetsu'
Butterfly House Merges With Missouri Botanical Garden
A Celebration of Chinese Culture at the Garden
New Monsanto Research Center Opens
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