Pretty purple cocktails & flowers made for a great girly night out
Guess why these are called Dancing Lady orchids
Columbus has a surprising number of fun and interesting places to go and things to do. Franklin Park Conservatory is one of my favorite recent discoveries. In addition to a huge greenhouse full of gorgeous plants and flowers, the conservatory has acres of outdoor gardens. Since my visits have both been in the winter (a great way to escape the cold and snow, I might add), I can only imagine how pretty the outdoor areas are when they are in full bloom. The conservatory also hosts rotating, seasonally-themed exhibits and events.
Currently, they have two special exhibits: Orchid Forest and Chihuly Reimagined. Dale Chihuly is an artist who creates large, colorful pieces of blown-glass. The conservatory owns a large portion of his work, and has displayed the pieces amongst various plants and flowers. Several Chihuly pieces are displayed in concurrence with the other special program – the Orchid Forest located in the Pacific Island Water Garden. Until I went to the Orchid Forest, I didn’t know that orchids came in such a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors.
"Sunset" in the Pacific Island Water Garden
In addition to its seasonal special events, FPC hosts Cocktails at the Conservatory every Thursday evening. They stay open late, have a DJ or live music, and offer hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. The theme of the event changes every month; but the idea is always the same. Use a seasonally relevant plant or flower as the creative inspiration for a cocktail. For example, January was “Spruce & Spumanti” while February’s theme is “Orchids & Orchidtinis”.
Chihuly art among the orchids
“Orchids & Orchidtinis” was a fairly casual event, kind of like an indoor garden party. You order your drink and maybe a plate of hors d’oeuvres and stand around a tall table chatting with friends. It turns out that an orchidtini is a pretty lavender-colored drink the involves Hypnotiq, some sort of pink liqueur and possibly grapefruit juice. It was refreshing, if a little tart. The food, which was catered by the conservatory’s cafe, included hummus with veggies and pita wedges, plates of cheese and crackers, and sweet treats, among other things. My friends and I shared some hummus and cheese, then decided to walk around the conservatory. The Chihulys were especially vibrant in the darkened conservatory. Some of them were almost glowing. While we walked, we talked and laughed and took pictures and generally enjoyed a break from the workweek. Since this event is fairly low-key and ends early in the evening, it’s a perfect way to unwind on a Thursday night. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve already made plans to return for “Clover & Lucky Charms” in March.
Sea-inspired art
