Spending time in Las Vegas means a mandatory visit to the ever-changing garden at the Bellagio Conservatory at Bellagio Hotel. Yes, I go to Vegas to see flowers. trust me, no one who knows me is surprised. Plus, clearly I am not a patient person given Christmas is just over, its the middle of January, and I’m ready for spring! Is it spring yet? Is it time for flowers now? It happens every year, so even in Las Vegas, it’s time to go see flowers!

I know I can always count on a stunning flower show at the Bellagio Conservatory. It is an enormous enclosed courtyard with a glass domes ceiling, essentially a huge conservatory, with a beautiful display which is changed monthly that always includes loads and loads of flowers. Heaven…in the middle of sin city.

The Bellagio Conservatory: Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Year Of The Horse 2014

With the Chinese New Year in January, it is currently all decked out to welcome the year of the horse (kind of like Chinese zodiac signs). I’m not saying I have confirmed it is the year of the horse, but the three-story revolving display of life-sized horses is a pretty strong clue. Makes me wonder, what do they do for the year of the rat?

The Money Tree

Seriously, the displays are magnificent. A huge golden money tree (who knew money does grow on trees?!), a symbol for wealth and prosperity in the new year, welcomes guests at the main entrance. Take a look at the people in the background to get an idea of scale.

The Pagoda and Koi Fish

There are several displays and each is lined with masses of colorful bromeliads as well as large mums of every type. The atrium is so large it also houses a life-sized traditional pagoda complete with it’s own pond and several varieties of koi fish. It all makes you want to just linger…

The Symbols

Giant incense sticks burn with wafts of smoke to welcome the new year and good fortune is a assured in a beautiful gold frame filled with deep red carnations and the Chinese symbol for prosperity.

The Flowers

My favorite part is the several life size statues of children decked in live flowers for clothing. The use of flowers is gorgeous! Think Rose Parade meets botanical garden.

It looked like the life-sized children dressed in flowers got the most attention with their playful poses and colorful costumes. In order to keep all those cut flowers fresh, the figures are plumbed with irrigation from the inside. At one point I was taking photos intently when I heard giggling next to me. Because of the way the irrigation worked it appeared the figures were sweating profusely and wetting themselves. Evidently potty humor is universal.