In the Conservatory

Ancient Plants & Modern Problems

The world has certainly felt chaotic recently. Just yesterday it we were in conflict with Oceania, and today it is Eurasia. Or was it the other way around?

When we feel our blood pressure starting to rise, we go find a gnarled tree to hug. Or we sniff an orchid whose flowers evolved to entice an insect that hasn’t existed for millions of years.

If it’s that time of year, we might gaze in awe at an overflowing river irresistibly inundating a shoreline. Rarely, we’ll even try to figure out whether zoo security could catch us before we hugged a condor.

This isn’t to say that the human problems of right now don’t exist or aren’t important. They do and they are.

But there are things that we can change, and there are things that are just making us crazy, and it is okay to do what you need to do to quell the fear and anxiety.

On a related note the The Krohn Conservatory is particularly beautiful at the moment. It always feels delightfully Lovecraftian to us, both in terms of its shockingly alien inhabitants, and its stylish early 20th century architecture. When we step deep into its simulated jungle we become uncertain whether it’s a century ago, or an aeon.