The beauty of Ireland lives right here in Tacoma at W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory at Wright Park. In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day March 17, the Conservatory will be exquisitely landscaped with an array of purple and green shamrocks, hydrangeas and a variety of flowering spring bulb plants including frangrant hyacinths on March 12. Conservatory visitors can enjoy the special display until the end of March.
Shamrocks are featured prominently in this artistically designed floral display.
“Our visitors love the variety of the changing displays, especially during the cold months of winter, when our tropical sights and smells really are a treat,” said Conservatory Manager Mary Anderson. “The addition of purple shamrocks to the display came in the early-mid 1980s. These plants have very attractive foliage and contrast nicely with the other plants on display. This year we have added a rainbow complete with pot of gold for visitors to enjoy.”
Since Mother’s Day in 2003, the Conservatory Foundation has sponsored musicians to perform inside the Conservatory on the second Sunday of every month.
This month’s performer will be singer/songwriter/guitarist Kathye Long offering her vocal repertoire of original songs, folk, pop and swing and her instrumental renditions in classical, blues, swing and ragtime flavors.
The shamrocks display will be in the Conservatory until March 21. The Conservatory’s permanent collection always on view includes more than 200 species of tropical and sub-tropical plants. There is also a featured year-round rotating floral display. Many of these displays are focused around holidays and/or significant seasons.
The Conservatory is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Children are always welcome.
“This year we have talk-back board where children and adults are invited to draw and/or write about their favorite conservatory plant,” Anderson says. “Cards are posted on the doors to the gift shop for visitors to reflect on.”
The talk-back board was introduced last December by the Conservatory’s Education Committee, and has become so popular it is now a semi-permanent feature. Children also enjoy the pond full of goldfish and koi.
The concert begins at 1 p.m. Cameras are always welcome at the Conservatory for recreational use. Commercial photography can be arranged with staff through a permit. There is a $4 suggested donation for admission. The Conservatory is wheelchair accessible.
Master Gardeners are on site every Saturday from February through June, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., to answer gardening questions. The Conservatory is utilized as a Plant Rescue Center for the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife for plants confiscated at the U.S./Canada border crossings.
The Seymour Conservatory is located at 316 S. ‘G’ St. in Tacoma’s Wright Park. The Conservatory is closed on Mondays. For more information, call (253) 591-5330 or visit the Conservatory’s web site at www.metroparkstacoma.org/conservatory.
