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Missouri Botanical Garden 4344 Shaw Blvd. 314-577-9400  "When you think Saint Louis, think Saint Louis Front Page," a weekly publication covering the news and events in the greater St. Louis area.  |
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), April 26, 2009 - In 1859, Englishman Henry Shaw established the Missouri Botanical Garden as a gift to his beloved City of St. Louis. In 2009, the Garden will mark its sesquicentennial with a monumental, floral tribute to both its Victorian and St. Louis roots. A custom-created, 20-foot-diameter, working Floral Clock will adorn the landscape from May through October. The horticultural endeavor will be on display adjacent to the Garden's historic reflecting pools, and is included with the cost of admission.
Garden staff began preparation for the clock in the fall of 2007. They consulted with the local company Americlock, Inc., which specializes in multiple types of custom clocks and has past experience with floral clock construction. To allow for optimal viewing, the clock was installed on an artificial, six-foot slope created with soil. The drive unit, or the mechanism that operates the clock's hands, will be located at the center of the clock's face in a large, stainless steel box. The clock's moving hands and Roman numerals, fabricated from stainless steel, are actually planters that will be filled with blooms throughout the spring and summer growing seasons. The face of the clock will be adorned with approximately 5,000 to 8,000 individual plants, selected for their visual qualities as well as their dependable performance in the St. Louis region. To create the look of a perfect carpet, plants must be uniform in height (no taller than ten inches) with agreeable colors and textures. Horticulture staff will change the display once per season. Adjacent to the 11 o'clock numeral, a five-foot-tall wooden cuckoo bird house hides a life-sized bluebird replica, popping from his home to chirp on the quarter-hour. July 10 through 14, a festive red cardinal will replace the Missouri state bird, celebrating the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and FanFest in St. Louis. The design of the bird house was inspired by the cupola atop the roof of Tower Grove House, the Victorian country home of Garden founder Henry Shaw. The working clock and cuckoo each require one-half ampere of electricity to operate. To offset this energy usage, the Garden will install a small solar array on an existing shade shelter within its Kemper Center for Home Gardening. A meter will be attached to the array to demonstrate actual electrical generation. Garden Party Nights will be held on Thursdays from May 28 through Sept. 3 (exception: no event on June 25). Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for children ages three to 12, and $5 for Garden members. Purchase tickets at the door or online in advance at www.mobot.org/tickets.
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 79 acres, is located at 4344 Shaw Blvd, just south of Hwy 44 between Vandeventer and Grand. Extended summer hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays only from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Free parking on premises, as well as an extensive gift shop and restaurant with patio dining. For more information, call the GardenLine at 314-577-9400 or 800-642-8842. Archived Stories:  Gardenland Express Brings Wintery Wonderland in the Mountains of Vermont to Missouri Botanical GardenMissouri Botanical Garden Celebrates Six Millionth Herbarium Specimen 
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