The latest display at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens features lifelike animals from across the world created from live plants. Conceived, designed, constructed and largely grown by the Conservatory’s Horticulture and Exhibitions staff, the exhibition is unique to the Conservatory.
The exhibition - which opened last Thursday - includes 25 topiaries, 14 of which have never been seen before. 20 of the topiaries are animals from UNESCO World Heritage sites including Yellowstone, the Galápagos Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Wadi Rum, the Sundarbans and Keoladeo National Park.
Courtesy of Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Of the 25 topiaries, there are six tropical fish, five seahorses, three flamingos, three jellyfish, two camels, a bison, royal Bengal tiger, peacock and marine iguana. There’s also a cardinal to represent Ohio and a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow entrance to the Children’s Garden.
To bring the animals to life, each is surrounded by plant life and terrain that mimic what their habitat would be. For example, the marine iguana is surrounded by plantings imitating the rocky coasts of the Galápagos Island. The plants are also strategically selected to mirror the textures and colors that would be seen with the corresponding animal.
Aiming to transport guests into the exhibit, the topiaries are accompanied by an audio tour that poetically describes the scenes found in the exhibition and music.
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To go from plant to animal, all of the topiaries are stuffed with long-fibered sphagnum moss. From there, the staff uses pins and simple trimming to fill in the shape of the animal structure. For finer details, they also use sculpting clay. The eyes are either taxidermy or glass.
The exhibit runs now through Sept. 11. Guests are encouraged to reserve tickets in advance.
For more information, visit www.fpconservatory.org/exhibitions/topiary-takeover
Anastasia Carter is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
