The sun shines directly through the latticed glass ceiling of the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens at 10 a.m. during the vernal equinox, or the first day of spring. The natural light, dramatically different in late-March than during the winter, provides perfect illumination for a theme of elevation. Flights of Fancy, on display through May 14, takes advantage of the contrast with hot air balloons and winged creatures, fresh and fabricated floral arrangements, and mood-lifting pastels. Purples, pinks, yellows and blues dominate the flowerbed palette while distinct scents are detectable beyond the boundaries of the venue.
“We have a lavender-wood scent going on right now,” says director of horticulture Jessica Walker. “A little bit of lavender, a little bit of cedar undertone. And there’s so many spring flowers like the hyacinth and freesia, a lot of things that are aromatic.”
Designer Ed Libby collaborated with the Bellagio horticulture and engineering teams to assemble the most diverse array of photosynthetic organisms and beautifying blossoms ever collected for a Conservatory display. The 34-foot-tall pink-and-green balloon in the “Floating on Air” East Bed, adorned with an elegant Bellagio “B,” consists of 15,000 preserved roses. An airship that Jules Verne might have imagined is surrounded by clouds made of baby’s breath and white hydrangeas in the “Up, Up and Away” West Bed. Hyacinths and forget-me-nots vie with tulips, silvery dusty millers and angel wings for attention.
Size helps certain features stand out. “The New Nouveau” North Bed features large-scale yellow roses, 16-foot-tall handmade glass daffodil installations and a 26-foot-tall Persian silk tree. Oversized butterflies are frozen in flight. Huge hummingbirds perch on hibiscus and pansy petals. A 10-foot-tall peacock proudly rides a peacock-patterned balloon in the South Bed.
More than 8,700 potted plants were installed during 8,000 hours of work by a team of some 80 artists, artisans, engineers and horticulturists. There is little room for error in the installation of the intricately designed details of Flights of Fancy. A bridge with clouds moving beneath establishes the sense of wonder and a “welcome moment” in the East Bed. A yellow frog spits a stream of water into a pond alive with koi fish in the North Bed. Moss-covered mountains were moved to create the West Bed’s waterfall scene.
“Throughout the beds, there’s a lot of different little pines,” says Walker, citing mugo pines springing from the mountains and an alpine bed featured in “Up, Up and Away.” “Our steampunk balloon is made of vintage materials that they salvaged. That’s the biggest. Right behind that is our little rose ‘princess balloon,’ with the silver tiara.”
There’s also a sandcastle balloon and one inspired by the Bellagio Fountains. If a chocolate river flowed through the Conservatory, visitors might be tempted to taste some of the oversized elements to see if they were made of candy. Instagrammable moments abound, with color palettes and design features offering a spectrum of options.
“There’s a bed for everybody,” says Walker.
Bellagio, 702.693.7111
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