Cacti, Woody Plants & Water Lily
Years ago I visited Harvard University’s glass flowers exhibits. Have wanted to revisit but did not have the opportunity until this past (2013) November.
This is an incredible exhibit (a must see if you are in Boston) that leaves one wondering: How could someone do such intricate work with glass? How long did it take to make one flower? Never mind 4,400 models of over 800 different plant species.
As usual, I did not have my camera with me (left it in New York) but my daughter, Kathy, had her iPhone so all the photos were taken by her using her iPhone. Due to the poor indoor lighting plus all the models are under glass, she feels the photos are not as sharp but I think they are excellent and she has a very good eye for composition.
Kathy took over 200 photos which made it extremely difficult for me to choose as each photo is different and unique. After much thinking, decided to divide the photos into 4 groups.
Today, Monday, I am posting selections from the cacti, woody plants and water lily. Tomorrow, Tuesday, I will post the glass fruits and on Wednesday I will post about the history, making and preserving. At a later date I will sort through the 4th (and largest)group (consisting of annuals, perennials and grasses) and put together a post. Hope I am not boring you, my readers.
P.S. Wish I knew how to get rid of the spot lights in the photos.
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Cacti
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Woody Plants
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Water Lily
Coming tomorrow – Glass Fruits
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Copyright © by Norma Chang. All Rights Reserved. Do not use/repost any photos and/or articles without permission.
Garden to Wok 
It’s hard to believe those are all made from glass. Such talent, patience and beauty!
Hello Maureen,
Yes, hard to believe.
Those are incredible, hopefully I’ll get a chance to see the exhibit some day.
Hello Karen,
You will enjoy the exhibit. Is a day trip to Boston doable from where you are?
Absolutely, Norma…Boston is just a little over an hour’s drive from us.
Those flowers are so perfectly real… The mountain laurel took me back 25 years to our house in Tolland, CT where every spring the hillsides were covered with acres of blooming mountain laurel.
Hello Mary,
They look so real if they were not under glass in a case everyone, including me, would touch.
I simply cannot believe that these are made from glass. I’ve never seen anything so intricate done in glass and in person they must be truly magical…and unbelievable! If I am ever in Boston, I’d love to see these. Thanks for sharing, Norma, and I’m looking forward to the fruits.
Hello Betsy,
You are welcome. Seeing those models were really unbelievable, hope you have an opportunity to visit in person.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to seeing the rest of it.
Hello Ronit,
You are welcome.
Made from glass? Really? wow…they look so real and amazing!
Hello Angie,
They are really made from glass.
Absolutely spectacular. A little too far from California, but hoping to travel to Boston in the future!
Hello Laurie,
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave a comment. Hope you have a chance to travel to Boston soon.
What a great trip, a lovely day out, Norma! Thanks for the I-Phone pictures! Thank you for sharing this lovely day with us 🙂 x
Hello Sophie,
You are welcome. It was a lovely day trip, weather was good and we found parking quite easily in convenient spots which in Boston is not easy.
Incredible Norma, had you not said these are made of glass I would have thought them real! Not sure when I’ll get to Boston so it fantastic that you are taking us on this visit, thank you!
Now that you have an iPhone you will never be without a camera! Not much you can do about the spot lights other than holding an umbrella over as you take the photo, or photoshop but that’s a lot of work.
Hello Eva,
You are welcome, glad you are enjoying the trip. Hope you have the opportunity to visit Boston, it is a lovely city. Now that I am retired and have more spare time planning to sign up for photoshop classes. My son installed photoshop element onto my computer over the holidays.
Thank you for taking us on this journey ~ for some of us the logistics of being there ourselves might be difficult. Obviously an incredible exhibit which will be carefully files away!
Hello Eha,
You are very welcomed, glad you enjoy the journey.
Wow, what an incredible collection! They look so real!
Hello Sandra,
All the models look real, incredible indeed.
These are just beautiful! What an amazing exhibit, Norma. Happy New Year to you!!
Hello Susan,
Yes, it is an amazing exhibit. Happy New Year to you too.
Norma, what a fascinating series! They’re all made from glass? What amazing workmanship! xx
Hello Celia,
Yes, they are all made from glass. Not only amazing workmanship but patience, hard to imagine making all those models.
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