Rhythm and Blooms: Phipps Conservatory horticulturist talks harmonizing plants and music
Samuel Long / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
An extravagant bouquet of plants surrounding a musical staff greets visitors at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Piano key stairs lead them up to a plaza full of budding chrysanthemum flowers with a water-gushing piano in the heart of the garden. Smooth jazz plays quietly in the background as people sit and relax to the sound of running water.
It’s all part of Phipps Conservatory’s Fall Flower Show: Rhythm and Blooms, where Phipps horticulturists have worked tirelessly to mix vibrant genres of music with colorful plants. On one side of the building, children tap their feet to bluegrass accompanied by guitars, hay bales and earthly orange flowers in the East Room. Across the way, chrysanthemums paint the Serpentine Room into a bright-colored psychedelic hub of hip-hop.
The annual show opened in the Oakland glasshouse on Saturday and runs through Oct. 27. It features thousands of chrysanthemums, better known as “mums,” serenaded by music in a variety of styles.
Extensive planning goes into Phipps’ yearly flower shows, said Ben Dunigan, horticulture director for Phipps Conservatory.
“There’s a very high level of curation that goes into it,” Mr. Dunigan said. “Obviously, here we are in this jazz room; you can see the color tones are kind of deep and dark and you feel like you’re in this dark jazz nightclub. It’s not going to be bright like the hip-hop room. The selection of the plants is first and foremost. But then you have to think about, what music are you going to pair with it?”
Many of the tunes showcased by Rhythm in Blooms were written or performed by local Pittsburgh artists. Planners also commissioned local graffiti artists to create designs for the hip hop-themed Serpentine Room.
In addition, the conservatory has a team that fabricates all of the necessary props to add to the scenes, such as the piano waterfall in the Victorian Room or the three birds featured in the reggae-themed Gallery Room. All of it was created in the vision of Laura Schoch, the show’s lead designer and display horticulturalist.
Mr. Dunigan said that, beyond creativity, each display also requires knowledge of the plant material used and how to grow each.
“There’s 13 different classes of mums and in this exhibit; you will see all 13 classes at some point,” he said. “In some cases, there are subtle differences, and if you’re really into chrysanthemums you might know them. But if you’re not, you’re still going to see the diversity even though it might not be registering.”
Mr. Dunigan compared the differences of mum classes to differences in apple varieties. Mum flowers can also be grown in different ways to change their looks.
Each plant in the conservatory has signage to help visitors identify the types of foliage surrounding them. Mr. Dunigan said the most enjoyable part of his job is that he gets to share his passion for plants in a way that “meets them where they want to be.” Those who want to leisurely stroll and enjoy the display are free to do so, just as horticulture enthusiasts have the necessary tools to learn more about plants in the building.
Lyudmyla Martin and Lyubov Sepich, of Butler, like to enjoy the beauty of the glasshouse. Originally from Ukraine, the two have been friends for 43 years and have attended Phipps for 15 years. The botany fills them with a “positive spirit.”
Ms. Sepich said each time she and Ms. Martin visit the conservatory, she takes photos and videos to send to her relatives in Ukraine. Since the exhibits change yearly, the two get to take a variety of snapshots.
“Every time, we always have different pictures,” Ms. Martin said.
In addition to the Rhythm in Blooms show, the South Conservatory currently features a Garden Railroad with a “Hollywood” theme, where a scaled-down “Phippszilla” fights spotted lanternflies leaving a trail of destruction in the background. In the Tropical Forest Conservatory, Tropical Forest Hawai‘i: Aloha ʻĀina invites visitors to take a journey through the history, nature and culture of the Hawaiian archipelago.
“We want people to be able to come in and enjoy themselves and see a fall show with this combination of music that really has something for everyone,” Mr. Dunigan said.
Admission to the conservatory is $21.95 for adults, $19.95 for students over 18 and seniors 62 and older, $13.95 for children ages 2-18 and free for Phipps members and children under 2.
Hours are 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday through Thursday and 9:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays.