By Esther E. McGinnis, Horticulturist

NDSU Extension

As a gardener, I have had it with this frigid winter. I long to experience lush greenery but it is too early to start my flower seeds. Booking a flight to Florida isn’t in the budget. However, a long weekend in St. Paul, Minnesota, can hit the spot for those seeking to satisfy the chlorophyll itch.

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park is a wonderful winter sanctuary for the family. Imagine two full acres of gardens under glass. Built in 1915, this Victorian-style conservatory provides year-round sustenance for plant lovers.

At the center of the conservatory is a 64-foot tall glass dome that houses the palm collection. The eye is drawn upward to towering palms in excess of 100 years old. For a few minutes, you can almost imagine that you are in Miami with a tropical beverage in your hand. As the eye drifts downward, lush foliage carpets the garden floor. If you look closer, you will observe all kinds of houseplants, except they look so much healthier than they do in our homes.

The North Garden at the conservatory will amaze your whole family. Show your kids how bananas grow. Do you know what part of a plant cinnamon comes from? Marvel at the unusual cocoa tree, our addictive source of chocolate. Cocoa tree flowers emerge along the trunk and produce a 6-to-12 inch pod that matures to an orange color. The prized cocoa beans are actually the pod’s seeds. The North Garden is an education in your favorite foods and spices.

Step back in time and venture into the fern room if you dare. Ferns are some of the oldest plants on earth and this garden evokes a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth. The primitive tree ferns are my favorite and it is like seeing living fossils. Linger in this garden to experience the waterfall and the high humidity environment will start to heal your winter-dry skin.

The bonsai collection, the largest collection in the region, is a tribute to both science and art. Bonsai is a Japanese art form that produces dwarf trees through the use of root restriction and careful pruning. Como Park pays homage to Japanese design and gardening because the city of St. Paul is the sister city of Nagasaki, Japan.

 Save the sunken garden for last to savor the icing on the cake. A rotating flower display of shrubs, flowers and bulbs graces this lovely area. The winter flower show extends through March 16 and the spring exhibit starts March 21.

After you visit the conservatory, head next door to the Como Zoo to get your animal fix. Children delight in getting closer to the animals here than at the Minnesota Zoo. In fact, this can be too close! As we visited the barn, a large giraffe extended its head over the enclosure and sneezed on me. My family collapsed into hysterical laughing and another family memory was born.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Feb. 26, 2025

Source: Esther McGinnis, 701-231-7406, esther.mcginnis@ndsu.edu

Editor: Kelli Anderson, 701-231-6136, kelli.c.anderson@ndsu.edu