LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Summertime is in full swing — especially at the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens’ new display.
The spring display featured a pastel wildlife haven, titled “The Birds and the Bs.” Now, the summer theme features a European garden party with marvelous optical illusions, heavy surrealism, and nods to French-Renaissance fashion.
The Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is free and open to the public daily, 24 hours a day from now until September 6.
WATCH | Slideshow of "Glam Menagerie: A Surrealist Summer" released
Crafted in collaboration with 80 artists, engineers, and horticulturists, namely designer Ed Libby and the Bellagio horticulture team, “Glam Menagerie: A Surrealist Summer” is where “baroque elegance meets whimsical fantasy, and luxury collides with imagination,” according to the Bellagio.
“Designing the summer display was more than just creating a beautiful garden — It was about transporting guests into an extraordinary realm… Each element was chosen to challenge perception and celebrate luxury, imagination, and the beauty of summertime.” — Ed Libby, designer
In the West Bed, a life-sized marble chessboard sets the scene for a duel between mossy pieces. To the left, guests are greeted by a giant cockatoo posed similarly to the main subject of “The Swing,” a famous Rococo painting by Jean-Honoré Fragonard. The Garden Table is housed by a giant chess piece, providing an idyllic backdrop for guests to enjoy an opulent meal.
Leaning into the French Renaissance, two giraffe sisters welcomes guests into the North Bed. They frame an elegantly figure named Tigress Giovanna on a swing, dressed in haute couture. Two fountains adorned with cherubs contribute to the peaceful scene, amplified by the lavender, pink, blue, and white flowers.
Flamingos flock in a sparkling pool in the East Bed, which highlights a gazebo decorated in white and pink blooms. Above the scene, lanterns with the signature Bellagio “B” provide illumination.
Two zebras named Sir Pierre and Lady Colette relax in the South Bed, where a small tribute to the iconic Bellagio Fountains lie beneath baroque-style chandeliers.
Wonder what happens behind the scenes? In 2024, Channel 13 took you to the secret warehouse that crafts each botanical display.
Here’s a peek into this year's stunning display’s creation:
- There are 125,000 pounds of ivy woven into the scenes
- 22,00 potted plants, shrubs, and trees are featured
- Topiaries feature 5,000 square feet of boxwood
- 120 feet of live hedges are included in total
What happens when displays are changed out?
When the seasonal displays are retired, any plants and living botanical material are collected by a local compositing facility, turning the organic waste into environmentally-friendly materials. The Bellagio said they’ve adopted this method to keep display waste out of local landfills, “[turning] it into something that improves the region’s soil, air, and water quality.”
In March of 2025, Channel 13 found that MGM’s employees also play a large role in the theme changeovers by purchasing leftover materials during a plant sale benefiting the MGM Resorts Foundation.
