United States Botanical Gardens and Conservatory #9

This gallery is dedicated to the plants who have survived and/or evolved from the first land based plants: the mosses, ferns, palms--and odd conifers, too. It's a genius concept, and they do it really right at the U.S. Botanical Gardens. And just as I entered from the north, a crew of kindergarteners from the American-British school entered from the south and Oh My GOD--what joy!! I had passed them a couple of times before. They were being led on this expedition by a very handsome young man with a crisp British accent and a lovely black woman with a distinct Jamaican lilt. I was only just in the space when they arrived and like a troop of primordial army ants the kids were swarming everywhere. As they came upon me, with the British teacher at the head, he looked at me directly and said, "I'm so sorry." And I burst into a smile and said, "I comes with the territory!" He agreed with a smile of similar proportions. I hung around long enough to get some unhindered photos. But golly, the USBG placed evidence of dinosaurs in the space--like any 5-year-old could hope to resist such magic!