Happy Friday, GPODers!

We’re wrapping up this week with some bonus pictures from my trip last year to Hershey Gardens.

After checking out the endless rose varieties and meandering through various themed gardens, you must make one more stop before leaving: The Butterfly Atrium. Aside from the amazing butterflies that can be spotted flying around, there is a dazzling array of tropical plants. This is a tiny atrium that is so much more conducive to wandering and admiring than stopping and taking photos, but below are some of the best shots I got.

A sensational sea of greens! Ferns are thriving in the humid atrium.

Whether in warmer locales or tropical greenhouses, seeing plants we might typically see as houseplants in their full, natural form is always a treat. I’ve spotted countless Cordyline fruticosa ‘Florida’ in the plant shop, but nothing quite like this one.

This is the kind of snake plant planting I dream of! There are so many different colors and variegations on display here, and they are paired beautifully with bromeliads. Bonus points to anyone who can spot the butterfly in this picture!

If you’ve taken a stab at growing calathea, you might be drooling at your screen right now. These rattlesnake calathea (Goeppertia insignis) were mind-boggling.

If it wasn’t clear yet, I’m a sucker for a funky foliage plant. With that being said, I was delighted by these delicate little orchid blooms (potentially Odontoglossum Chayenne) growing around from frangipani (Plumeria rubra) foliage.

COME ON! When foliage plants like this stunningly white ‘Fireworks’ begonia (Begonia ‘Fireworks’, Zones 10–11) are in the room, how do you have eyes for anything else?

Finally, what every gardener with limited space dreams of—a wall of plants!

Are you planning to visit some botanical gardens this summer? I would love to see some photos of your travels! You can send photos to [email protected] or send me your Instagram posts @agirlherdogandtheroad

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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