Conservatory marks centenary with $2.7 million exhibition

The Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago is celebrating its 100th anniversary with an exhibition that highlights the process of photosynthesis.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the permanent presentation is worth a total of $2.7 million (£1.35 million) and shows how plants absorb light from the sun to produce sugar and – in turn, sustain life on Earth.

Some 60 speakers are used to recreate the sounds of nature, such as frogs croaking and the splashes of water.

David Snyder, director of educational exhibits for the Garfield Conservatory Alliance, tells the publication that the design of the structure changed the way in which conservatories were built, by embedding plants in the ground rather than in pots on shelves.

"It was so realistic that people thought theyd built the structure over a lagoon," Mr Snyder adds.

Meanwhile, the Evening Gazette explains that renowned botanist David Bellamy recently re-opened Preston Hall Museums Victoria Winter Garden in Teesside following the teak buildings refurbishment.