Phipps Conservatory’s annual Fall Flower Show, Visions of Japan, opened Oct. 4 and highlights Japanese culture rooted in history, family and tradition.
The flower show has been a long-running tradition at Phipps — beginning in 1894 — and still finds new ways to highlight botany today. Each fall’s show takes roughly a year to curate, but the Phipps team is dedicated to bringing this tradition to Pittsburgh each year.
The stars of this year’s show are the chrysanthemums, an important symbol in Japan. Culturally, mums are symbolic of fall and the imperial family, as well as good health and longevity. The flowers beam bright reds and yellows, the vibrant colors blending together with the constructed installations to create natural shapes and patterns.
Izzy Burch, a first-year German and anthropology major, had only been to Phipps twice before visiting for the latest flower show. Burch noted a few flower shows she had previously seen at Phipps, but said she found this particular show to be exceptionally beautiful, with the visual cohesion created by the flowers and the installations.
“Yeah, this is by far my favorite exhibit that I’ve seen here,” Burch said. “I think it’s so beautiful.”
Burch appreciated the Visions of Japan show for its emphasis on naturalism.
“I like the focus [to be] on the flowers — the plants that are in the plant beds,” Burch said. “I like the banners in particular, because I feel like they are more cohesive with the natural curves and organic shapes of the plants, and fit in better. “
Gale Ezra, a first-year astrology major, had never been to Phipps before her visit, but said she enjoyed its calm and relaxing atmosphere amid the rush of Oakland.
“I am taking this all in for the first time. I like it. I think it’s really cool,” Ezra said. “I’ve just found it to be really calm and nice.”
The exhibit has some notable features like a torii gate, lanterns, fans and a vibrant red pagoda, which cradles a bed of chrysanthemums. At the center of the exhibit, a rock arch cascades over a pool of dark water, representing peace and harmony.
Ashley White, a resident of Upper St. Clair, has been to Phipps a number of times and always enjoys her experience. White adored the chrysanthemums and would love to see flowers from outside of this region featured in future displays.
“Bringing in some really rare species of flowers that are really less seen in this part of the world would be super cool,” White said.
White admired the creativity of the exhibit’s curators, as well as their ability to create distinct and interesting features.
“The way they’re always able to bring everything together and [show] such cool features [through] flowers, which is super awesome,” White said.
Julie Bowden, a resident of Upper St. Clair, shared a similar sentiment of awe for the show’s creators.
“They always come up with such creative ideas. They do everything out of flowers, right? Honestly, anything they do is great,” she said.