When we visited the Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park, Cincinnati, Ohio a couple of weeks ago to see our son’s wind chimes, we decided to stay and enjoy the exotic plants and spring display inside the conservatory.
The minute we step inside the atrium, we are awestruck by suspended colorful origami shapes that fill the air above our heads.
Jan Brown Checco, who is the art administrator for the Cincinnati Park Board, and a team of 20+ volunteers learned how to make modular origami, and began making 100+ forms of all sizes in August. The largest folded forms are made of recycled architectural plans and posters. The origami shapes were skillfully arranged into a mobile that includes coat hangers and recycled DVDS. Checco describes it as a “giant uber whimsical Seussical mobile” and says it “will be a great partner to some of the other decor elements that use recycled materials.”
The mobile is part of the decorations being installed at the conservatory for the upcoming “On Wings of Harmony – Butterflies of the World” show. This year’s design supports the butterfly show’s “rainbows and universes in harmony” theme.
The mobile will likely be up through the year, with some lighting enhancements for the holiday season.
Checco, along with others, has also designed the previous five annual butterfly shows.
Links to photo essays of the last four butterfly shows can be found at Checco’s website: www.brownchecco.com. My photos of last year’s butterfly show can be seen here.
The “On Wings of Harmony” butterfly show will run from April 21st to June 24th at the Krohn Conservatory.
Meanwhile, the “Enjoy an early spring with Sparkle and Bling show” continues to dazzle visitors to the Krohn Conservatory.
A beautiful garden of spring flowers fills the room with color and fragrance.
Sparkling bling shoots out of potted gardens on stems, creating a magical environment where fairies might dwell.
Hanging strings of sparkling beads that fall like rain mirror a waterfall surrounded by pure white lilies.
Beautiful, bright, fragrant lilies are everywhere in abundance.
It is difficult to pull myself from this early spring display, but the origami mobile in the atrium hints of good things to come, and the lush, cool plants in the conservatory beyond beckon me.
The sound of a waterfall draws me forth into the dense growth.
Ferns arch over the walkways.
A tunnel tempts me to enter.
Bright fish swirl in the water, a living, moving painting of color.
All along, a mermaid, an original stone sculpture from Zimbabwe, stands guard.
The size, shape, color and structure of the exotic plants amazes me.
Christine M. Grote 
O wow, Christine, beautiful pictures. I love this center! What was in the tunnel?
There was nothing in the tunnel, just a path to the other side. But it made a charming feature in the garden.
What a beautiful place! I would love to visit there every day!!!! Wonderful pictures!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
You’re welcome.
I love how you captured the little open mouth of the goldfish!
That was, as many of my photos are, purely by accident. But I thought it looked cool too.
OMG, Christine. Your son’s wind chimes are stunning. He is so, so gifted. I’d love to try getting to Cincinnati to see them!
Hugs,
Kathy
It’s not a bad trip. Mark and I just made a quick trip down to Keeneland Thursday, spent the night in a B&B and returned home yesterday afternoon. But it’s easily a day trip. You’d probably want to plan to do more than just the conservatory, though, if you drove up here. You should consider coming to the butterfly show.
thank you, thank you for sharing all this beauty with us. What a blessing to wander through this space!
Yes it is. I wish I lived closer. I think I would hang out there with a good book.
Your “moving painting of color” is exactly that! Love the shot up through the palm tree in the slide show. That mobile is nothing short of fantastic. And I NEED that butterfly in the fourth (I think) picture. 🙂
Wouldn’t that bench be fun to have. Do you know anybody who’s handy?
A lovely place! Thanks for the tour!
It’s like entering a whole new world for just a short while. Thanks, for stopping by.
Oh, what gorgeous photographs, Christine. I’m so glad you commented on my “The King and I” post for the A to Z Challenge, which nudged me over here or otherwise I might have missed these uplifting pictures today. However, here in southern Virginia we are having some beautiful green spring weather today, though not quite as stunning as this conservatory!
Origami. How delightful. It reminds me of a long ago time with my first husband who did some Origami with our small children. They loved it.
BTW, how are sales going for your memoir? I recently saw it high on one of the Amazon rankings. I do hope it’s doing well!
We did some origami with our children when they were young too. And my youngest son actually helped with the origami on the mobile, so I suppose he’s still doing it.
Thanks for asking about my book. The sales are very low, but then I spend very little time on promotion. I just don’t have the heart for it. The people who have read the memoir seem to really like it.I think it is touching readers’ hearts. It is in two hospital resource rooms, and one college library. So I feel like it is finding its way into the hands of people who might most benefit from it.
I’m satisfied.
Beautiful shots, Christine. The gardens look to be a delight!