Friday, August 2, 2019

THE PALM HOUSE


While in Vienna, Warbucks and I decided to get dressed one day for a change. We were going to take the day to  huh, relax, but decided one can have only so much exercise. On the day we toured the Schonbrunn Palace you can see in this post, we also saw the Palm House there on the grounds and is worth looking more into in it's own post.
One of the world’s oldest palaces, Schönbrunn, was built on land that dates back to the Middle Ages. Located in Vienna, Austria, the Schönbrunn used to be an imperial summer residence. However, before that, a mansion known as Katterburg, was built there in 1548. Schönbrunn means beautiful spring and was named for an artesian well located on the grounds. The well provided water for the Holy Emperor Maximilian II and his court who resided there starting in 1569. In addition to lush, colorful gardens and the Palace, this site also has a unique conservatory known as the great Palm House.
The scale of the building is mind blowing.

The Palm House conservatory is one of four greenhouses that occupy Schönbrunn Palace Park. The present Palm House was built by metalworker Ignaz Gridl between 1880 and 1882 and was designed by Franz von Segenschmid with the help of structural engineer Sigmund Wagner. The last of its type to be built in Europe, the great Palm House was designed using the most modern technology of the time. With a length of 111 meters, a width of 28 meters and a height of 25 meters, the great Palm House conservatory is the largest glass house (45,000 glass sheets!) on the European continent.

The planning of the Palm House took von Segenshmid several years and entailed visits to Glasgow, Brussels and, in particular, the Kew Gardens in London. The large collection of botanicals collected by the imperial family, after circumnavigation of the globe by Archduke Maximilian became possible, prompted the commission of the conservatory.The great Palm House conservatory has 45,000 glass tiles and 2 annexes. The annexes, one on the north side, and one on the south, serve as a cold house and a hothouse. Each pavilion is separated by alternating curved convex/concave iron sheets. A cold house is much like a greenhouse but it relies solely on the sun for its heat. Therefore, the cold house contains plants that can handle colder temperatures. Conversely, a hothouse is always warm and is used for growing plants that cannot tolerate cold. I enjoyed immensely all the butterflies too, and I could have sworn a episode of Rosemary and Thyme was filmed here once?
It was like the garden of Eden, maybe we should have stayed naked?
Now when I said Palm House what did you think it would be about?

34 comments:

  1. Tres magnifique! I cannot tell you how many afternoons I've walked along those same pathways escorted by grounds keeper Lukas, enjoying the flora and fauna of the space. So fond of phallic flora is he, he teased with every display we came upon. Later, in his tool shed, he demonstrated the rigours of pollination. It's hard, painstaking work, ma chere. But I took it all in and am the better for it.

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    1. I can tell we will be fast friends. We can discuss and share stories of all our male estate help and houseboys. Mine are always introducing me to the newest trends in everything from exercises to standing my fronds up straight to new ways to press the bed linens. What can we do but take it in stride.

      As far as the palm house Warbuks did a couple time dishevel me in between some palms and water platters.

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  2. I had a good inkling of what it meant. Though, I was curious to know how it came to be called "Palm House." Yes, I see palms in there of a good variety, but not so many to name the building.
    The place is gorgeous, though, Thank you for sharing those photos. And, had ****I**** been there with you, we would've at least attempted to turn it to Eden! Have a Eden-like weekend!

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    1. Nothing like a good game of find the snake! I have always enjoyed that more than leap frog.

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  3. Now this I LOVE! Oooooh, butterflies! These pictures have sucked all of the filthy wittiness outta me! Too bad, tho. Today's my anniversary and I'm gonna need the filth part.

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    1. Happy Anniversary dear Duchess Deedles!!!! Then what a lovely post for you today. Shall I come do my hump dance for you two??? You two give me hope that I will someday settle down.

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    2. Awww, aren't you sweet! I appreciate the thought, but we'll be doing our own hump dance tonight. At least I think we will.

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    3. if the earth's a-rockin', deedles and her man are a-knockin'...

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  4. Wow, that place is phenomenal!!!! I am so glad you posted further about this place...I love the butterflies.

    On a side note, I noticed you have long fingers.

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  5. We've been to England and France (on bicycles so concentrated areas). It is amazing how many beautiful places survived 2 world wars.
    The most amazing thing - we were able to ride up Downing street and right past number 10. This was the summer Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married. (You were probably a toddler then?)
    As always a wonderful travelog. xoxoxoxxo :-)

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  6. Now when I said Palm House what did you think it would be about?

    Hand jobs.

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    1. We could hire Norma. With her shakes she could give a good one, or she could take her teeth out and always blow.

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    2. @Maddie- I've always wondered, is there a difference between sucking and blowing or are they synonyms? I'm planning a surprise and I need to know :)

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  7. Now that's what I call a vacation!!!

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  8. Wow... that's a Great Structure... Love the Gardens and Butterflies!!!!

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  9. Absolutely breathtaking.
    I didn't have you down as a "Rosemary and Thyme" fan. It's easy watching though, isn't it.
    Such wonderful photographs. Thank you. X

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    1. Girl, I love me some Rosemary and Thyme.

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    2. Haha. Good. They are two excellent actresses.
      I love Pam Ferris in the film, Matilda, as miss trunchbull.

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  10. Fabulous! I love tropical plants, and tropical greenhouses - and it is very obvious that the Palm House in Kew (which pre-dates it by almost 40 years) was indeed the inspiration for the Schönbrunn one. Beautiful, indeed. Jx

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    1. You two must simply holiday sometime in Vienna, you know, for when it's off debaucherious season in Amsterdam.

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    2. It's on the list, dear... Jx

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  11. I so glad your going to share more from your excursion. This did intrigue me. I love a greenhouse and this one looks so regal and majestic. I would love to just mill around there.

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  12. Simply beautiful!!!! When I visited I didn't have the time to explore Palm House. So I may rearrange my next vacation to go back to Vienna. I seem to see more through you. I love the picture with your hand.

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  13. As much as I love it it here in glorious Ptown, I think next year I'm taking off in the summer and traveling with you. So far, this is my favorite post from Vienna, but then again I like big things, and tropical plants. That structure truly is magnificent.

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  14. that is bigger than longwood gardens! and all the pretty butterflies...and the orchids...and the lily pads...

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  15. They seemed to be fond of these palace structures in Europe during the 1800's. Your post has sent me on a tour of glass palaces via Wikipedia, because I was reminded of Crystal Palace.
    Anyhow, The Palm House looks far more stylish than our modern day Eden Project!
    Sx

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    1. Another reason to love your continent. The closet thing we have to this is Longwood Gardens outside of Philadelphia. I think Maddie has featured it.

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  16. I wonder if I could fit something like that into the gardens here at the DeVice Mansion...?

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  17. So art nouveau ,
    So beautiful x

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  18. My that is huge! (Bet that it not the first time you have heard that line!)

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  19. This is exactly what I was thinking. That place is beautiful.

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  20. As having a background in architecture, I find this place worth exploring. I can't wait to hear all about the trip on vacation. Great pictures.

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  21. Oh man the Palm House!!!! We toured the palace but with our tight schedule didn't get much time at each sight. I recall seeing it from the gardens and wanted to explore it. So thanks for posting these...it gorgeous.

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Go ahead darling, tell me something fabulous!