Crystal Palaces

A central part of a visit to any botanical garden is the conservatory, an enormous glass structure that houses a wide variety of exotic flora. America has an abundance of exceptional examples; many have been designated National Historic Landmarks. Crystal Palaces is the first book on garden conservatories in the United States from the Victorian-era structure in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco to the recently completed Quad City Conservatory in Rock Island, Illinois. Twenty-five conservatories are presented in detail through lavish color photos and evocative descriptions. Just a few of the spectacular conservatories included are Steinhardt Conservatory in Brooklyn, Fairchild Tropical Garden Conservatory in Coral Gables, Missouri Botanical Garden Conservatories and Climatron in Saint Louis, and Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle.