If you want to witness spring in all it’s glory, Las Vegas is definitely not the place to go, but I went there anyway — not to experience spring but to see my wonderful friends of 17 years. (My one week R&R was relaxing and fun.)

However, if you must see the beautiful, blooming flowers, strut your stuff to the shiny steps of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino and be dazzled by the whole spring-themed decor at the Bellagio’s Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

Spring Exhibition at Bellagio

The spring floral exhibition at Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens features seven large-scale bronze ants by artist Susan P. Cochran.

Guests can climb atop the 8,500-pound queen, which rests below two towering yellow jonquils and provides an ideal vantage point for viewing an exhibit of botanical snails and bumblebees as well as brightly-colored tulips, poppies, daisies, mums and daffodils.

Bellagio Spring Umbrellas

Steps away, three 10-foot-long ants are at the mouth of a 15-foot-tall flowerpot, overflowing with rainbow-hued blooms. A spring butterfly rests atop the oversize pot while a 28-foot spade stands nearby. Overhead, bumblebees made of preserved sunflowers pause midflight in their search for nectar.

Five giant mushrooms, ranging from 5 to 15 feet tall, provide a canopy for the pair of 6-foot-tall ants found communicating below. Within its fragrant symmetrical borders, two water spheres flank a large anthill. A 3-foot-long ant crawls from its earthen tunnel as a counterpart works nearby. A French garden completes the botanical fantasyland.

One of the mini-lobbies at Bellagio

The exhibit also features 10 potted olive trees, each more than 100 years old. Over the years, the trees have been carefully sculptured into oversize, bonsai-style presentations.

The exhibit is free to the public and will be on display through May 9, 2010.