Las Vegas Weekly

September 29, 2009 · 9:01 AM

Photo Gallery: Autumn has arrived at Bellagio’s Botanical Gardens

By Robin Leach

The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens' fall display.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

With summer officially over, it regrettably means that winter is not too far away. Fortunately, in between, we have that short but glorious season known to you as fall and to me as autumn. Thankfully, before the chill sets in on the desert nights, the Bellagio’s Conservatory and Botanical Gardens are welcoming the new season with a picturesque harvest tableau celebrating the sights and colors of autumn.

Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue went to the display to capture his great shots for our photo gallery. He’s almost made the gold, scarlet and amber hues come to life at the showcase, which features a towering 35-foot-tall cider mill powered by a gentle running stream.

Check out the mythical 10-foot-tall tree made from recycled paper and wood that stands guard atop a bed of colossal pumpkins. “Ent” has some pretty wild “botanical” hair, but his sweet smile and gentle eyes welcomes visitors. An oversized 13-foot-tall scarecrow completes the scene, watching over this year’s bountiful harvest at the babbling brook that leads to a covered wooden bridge set amid ornamental grasses, stately trees and vivid fall blooms.

You’d swear you were in the New England countryside instead of a Las Vegas hotel lobby! The horticulture staff who pull off this annual miracle tell me that their handiwork will be on exhibit until Nov. 28, when they change it all out into a winter wonderland for the holidays.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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