Thai sala and tropicalesque garden at Olbrich Botanical Gardens
For my final post about the Madison Fling back in June, I’ll share the Thai Garden, a surprisingly exotic-looking space at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. First, that glimmering golden pavilion!
Called a sala, such a pavilion “is a common structure in Thailand generally used as a shelter from rain and heat. Olbrich’s pavilion is more ornate than most roadside salas in Thailand and represents those found at a temple or on a palace grounds. However, Olbrich’s pavilion is not a religious structure.”
As Olbrich’s website further explains, “The pavilion was a gift to the University of Wisconsin-Madison from the Thai Government and the Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association….[It] was built in Thailand, then disassembled and packed in shipping crates. The pavilion traveled seven weeks by sea, then by rail to Chicago, and to Madison by truck. Nine Thai artisans traveled to Madison to reassemble the pavilion after building it in Thailand. It took three weeks to reconstruct.”
The yellow roof tiles and gold-leaf adornments glow against a bright blue sky.
A stone patio extends around it, as does a black, mirror-like pool. Dark pots display vividly colored bromeliads, sedges, bananas, and other tropical plants.
A view across the raised pool
Another pool, a contemporary rectangle of river rock under a sheet of clear water, with a pyramidal fountain at one end, draws your eye out to the surrounding garden.
What a beautiful garden structure.
The surrounding garden relies on plants that are hardy in Wisconsin’s cold winters, but that still create a tropical vibe. “The Thai Garden surrounding the Pavilion,” the garden’s website explains, “emulates a lush, tropical garden with Wisconsin-hardy plants. Ornamental grasses, some reaching up to 12 feet tall, and several hardy bamboos are essential in creating a tropical look. Large-leafed shrubs and trees are pruned to give them the look of plants in a typical Thai garden.”
Lilies add rich color among pieces of Thai art and sculpture.
Iris in bloom with a chartreuse grass or sedge
A potted banana is backed by a large-leaved hardy tree and alliums.
Hot-colored plants hold their own alongside the golden sala.
A study in yellow-green, accented with a simple vessel of water
What little bird is this, I wonder? Update: It’s a catbird. Thanks, Ginny!
A sculpture of Naga, a snake deity, guards a creek-spanning bridge that delivers you into the Thai garden. That water crossing makes the tropicalesque Thai garden feel appropriately a world away from its Midwestern setting.
This ends my coverage of the Madison Fling! For a look back at a meadowy gravel garden and ponds at Olbrich, click here. At the end of that post and subsequent ones, you’ll find links to my other Madison Fling posts. Happy virtual garden visiting!
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Digging Deeper
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All material © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Great Fling coverage, Pam! Thanks! I always feel that I’m traveling to a different place when I cross that bridge. Kind of a magical transition. 🙂
You’re lucky to have access to such a lovely garden with all those different experiences, Beth.
The Thai pavilion provides just the kick of color the area needs and the plants and statuary play off the theme beautifully. This area may be my favorite of area within what is clearly a top-tier botanical garden.
Olbrich really is a terrific botanical garden, with a variety of experiences and creative plantings.
One of the best moments is seeing the Thai Garden in the snow since that is something that you won’t see in Thailand.
Ooh, I bet that IS something to see.
What a delightful structure! And an amazing back story, too. This may be my favorite of all your Fling postings, although all of them have been wonderful, Pam. There is just no end to imaginative gardens, is there? And that sweet bird is a catbird.
Thank you, Ginny — and for the bird ID!