Meijer gardens CP room

[Sig]

I just got back from the Meijer gardens in grand rapids. Very nice place overall, but my favorite part was the dedicated cp house! It has a tropical setting, but temperates are grown in there, too. Almost all of the plants were in excellent condition, with some neps having 20+ foot vines that threatened to grow through the ceiling.

Unfortunately, there were some plants I couldn't get pics of, like a gigantic truncata... those were in the back, I'm guessing to keep kids from touching them.

Full sized gallery is here: http://postimage.org/gallery/8zcuowfig/6e2c1d7f/




















One of several Vft patches... I was very impressed at the health of the vfts, considering they're grown in an indoor tropical room and kids probably trip every open trap.








The bicalc was the only plant not doing that well, but it was still impressive.






This very typical ventricosa was labeled bicalcarata... Amazing that they were able to grow it to flowering size but not notice a lack of teeth!


Another of several flowering neps... I wonder if they ever get hybrids.



I asked what they did about dormancy for the temperate plants, and apparently they dig them all up and put them in portable coolers (but keep them in the same locations.) So they produce healthy temperates year round in a tropical room, and you can still see them in the winter. Very neat!

Overall, a great place to visit!

Happy growing!

 

[Lucanidae]

So amazing!
I wish our local botanical gardens were still around. :<
Lovely pics, thank you for sharing!

P.S. You should uh, tell 'em that I'll gladly take that (real) bicalcarata off their hands, haha.

 

[mass]

I've been meaning to get my butt up there. It's only an hour away and I'm yet to make the trip. Looks like I won't be disappointed once I do.

 

[jimscott]

One of our members (Darcy) used to work there.

 

[thez_yo]

Oh, nice! I didn't even know that existed.. well maybe I knew a little bit, but didn't understand how *much* they have

 

[Zacham3]

Oooooh! Ive been there well years ago but still, I've been there. Nice to see that it's still looking great!

 

[Ozzy]

I've been there twice and it's well worth the trip. I'm glad they still have it looking great. Jim I wonder where Darcy is now. She was there the first time I went. I've always wondered what happened to her.

 

[jimscott]

Doing the math, I think she's about 27. IDK. So many people have come and gone since 2003. Who knows, maybe she;s on Facebook. What was her last name?

 

[Ozzy]

I don't remember, she was in college at the time.

 

[jebbewocky]

It's an awesome place. One of the piercers at my tattoo shop got married in that room because she loves carnivores. Both of her arms are covered in venus flytraps and pitcher plants.

 

[lance]

Nice pics!! I wonder if they would let ppl come in to make hybrids with the females...

 

[DragonsEye]

I wonder if they would let ppl come in to make hybrids with the females...

Isn't that what bars followed by motel rooms are for?

 

[lance]

LOL!! But for some big nepenthes growers, this would be a perfect place to go to and pollinate some females and watch the seeds develop...theres' only 30% female Nepenthes in the wild anyways...