Thirty-One Thresholds – A Tropical Pause in the Bolz Conservatory

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https://traffordhistory.org/lookingback/r1uds8dmv Bolz Conservatory © 2014 Bo Mackison

There is a place on the other side of town that always offers a magical experience when I cross its threshold.

https://everitte.org/l7wu484wux No matter the weather outside, when I step through the heavy double doors into the Bolz Conservatory at Madison’s Olbrich Botanical Gardens, I enter a tropical paradise — exotic plants, orchids, koi ponds, meandering paths through thick greenery, rushing waterfalls, birds in flight.

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https://trevabrandonscharf.com/bl96gc620y Walking Tree © 2014 Bo Mackison

A recipe for rejuvenation.

follow link I find a bench. Take in my surroundings. Take in lots and lots of deep breaths. And relax.

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https://www.parolacce.org/2024/09/18/qj1kefe Koi Pond © 2014 Bo Mackison

The Conservatory has over 650 plants from the tropics and sub-tropics found throughout the world.

https://semnul.com/creative-mathematics/?p=l6tnjui Once I am inside the 50 foot high glass pyramid, I get a reprieve from December’s cold and snow. Inside it is a balmy 80˚F today and the humidity is high, high enough to repeatedly fog my camera glass.

https://technocretetrading.com/5hzfeg34j5b No worries.

Buy Loose Valium I take a few photos, but mostly I sit and take in the warmth.

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https://livingpraying.com/xzgc4gmtm1 Greenery © 2014 Bo Mackison

I spend most of my time simply absorbing the experience.

Buy Valium Cheapest Online Truly, what pleasure there’s to be found in watching drops of moisture fall from wide green umbrella plants, in studying the camouflaged quail as they scuttle from one plant to the next, in noticing how brilliantly the orange koi glide through the rushing waters.

https://www.fandangotrading.com/wojsynouy I re-discover the calming effects of studying just a few leaves, letting my eyes trace the pronounced veins on this deep green plant, noticing the puckered textures, droplets of water beading on the waxy surfaces.

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click here Orchid © 2014 Bo Mackison

What a great threshold to cross, what a great space to pause and rest.

follow url It is mid-day and mid-week, and I am alone in the tropics for much of my visit. The gardens are typically a busy place teeming with visitors of all ages, all looking for a warm place, a break from wintry weather.

enter site I consider myself especially fortunate as I sit amidst the plants and absorb the energy from the tropical space in solitude.

https://www.thoughtleaderlife.com/m6dqx08x1mt Threshold Two of my Thirty-One Thresholds Project is hugely rewarding.

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Purple Moth Orchids

Purple Orchids

https://traffordhistory.org/lookingback/93dipw2m4k Purple Moth Orchids © 2011 Bo Mackison

Buy Hirst Valium The orchids are in full bloom in the Bolz Conservatory at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison. I went into this tropical paradise to escape the snow and cold, and ended up with some wonderful botanical subjects and I found a peaceful setting that calmed my racing heart, and my racing around as I get ready for my (half) a cross country trip.

https://www.parolacce.org/2024/09/18/z3ye4qi One of the nicest things about living in Wisconsin. No matter what direction you go to explore the United States, a destination in the 48 contiguous states is never more than a half country away. No cross country trips for me!

Yellow and Purple Orchids – Photography in Bolz Conservatory

Tiny Orchid - Yellow and Purple

https://everitte.org/c63a8t9yi Yellow and Purple Orchids © 2011 Bo Mackison

https://ragadamed.com.br/2024/09/18/jr4jdnon Another branch of tiny orchids photographed in the Bolz Conservatory at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Madison Wisconsin.

Tiny Orchids in Brown – Orchids at Bolz Conservatory

Tiny Orchid - Brown

click here Tiny Orchids in Brown © 2011 Bo Mackison

https://www.modulocapital.com.br/iwezms1 A tiny orchid, each flower is  little larger than a quarter, on exhibit at the Bolz Conservatory, a tropical paradise plopped in the middle of snowy Wisconsin’s Olbrich Botanical Gardens. While the outside gardens are deep in sleep, readying themselves for the spring show, these pampered tropical botanicals are showing off in grand style.

https://livingpraying.com/zg1epgng I DO wish I had been more mindful, and shot the ID sign next to these flowers, but I was so enthralled with the color, the composition, the basket weave background, that by the time I had a photo worth keeping, remembering to document the species was the last thing on my mind.

Trio of Orchids

follow The sun is shining more, and the snow is melting, though I still have over a foot of snow in my yard. It will be awhile before I see flowers popping out of the ground in my neighborhood.

https://luisfernandocastro.com/7o7pluf The next best thing is taking a drive across town to Olbrich Botanical Gardens and spending a couple of hours in the Bolz Conservatory which is Madison’s answer to tropical paradise. Yes, even in the snowy northern climes, we know how to grow hot house orchids!