Lawton Greenhouse

Lawton Park Greenhouse 

The Lawton Park Greenhouse has been a fixture of the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department since the early 1920's. Employees at the greenhouse are responsible for growing over 130,000 plants for the Botanical Conservatory, the Conservatory Gift Shop at the Botanical Conservatory, floral displays in the parks and the Children's Zoo, the annual Plant Sale at the Foellinger Theatre, and the School Children's

Flower and Vegetable Association which has also been around since the 1920's!

The array of plants at the greenhouse is constantly changing because the Botanical Conservatory creates a new Showcase display four times per year - a Winter Show, Spring Show, Summer Show and a Holiday Show. The Plant Sale is Mother's Day weekend so starting those crops begins in early winter and continues through late spring to be ready for the sale. Park Department gardeners begin planting the outside floral displays in mid to late May and those crops are started in late winter. The School Children's plants are distributed at the end of April. The quiet time of the greenhouse is late June/early July as the parks crops have all been planted and the staff is waiting for the Conservatory's Mums and Poinsettias for their Fall and Holiday Shows. That is the time the greenhouse is given a thorough cleaning.

Check out the pictures below on what is currently growing in the greenhouse.

What's growing in the Greenhouse?

What do you think of these very fragrant "stock" flowers that are going into the Showcase display at the Botanical Conservatory?

Growing now: 3,000 each Geraniums and Asparagus Ferns for the School Children's Flower and Vegetable Association.

This white flower is bougainvillea!  The name is so exotic just like this beauty!

Lots of herbs are started from seed for the Mother's Day Plant Sale.

Such delightful color and texture can be found in the Greenhouses!

The beauty and fragrance of the orchids is overwhelming! Orchids are grown for various park areas and year around can be enjoyed at the Botanical Conservatory

Check out the purple annual Catharanthus. It is growing strong in the greenhouse.

We grow unusual plants for the Plant Sale, like this variegated Umbrella Plant.

Have you ever felt the texture of a Lantana leaf and then took in that wonderful smell?  If so, you will never forget  the experience. We grow plenty of Lantana for different park locations.

What do you think this photo is showing? If you guessed it is a water tank and the cooling cells are draining into it...you are correct!

The Conservatory Gift Shop at the Conservatory carries a wide variety of cactus and succulents that get their start at the Greenhouse.

The glass house is the perfect place for the cactus and succulents as it allows in more light but gets cooler faster than our other "plastic" houses. The glass house is the only one remaining of the original green houses and was built around 1925.

We rely on a whole team of volunteers including these two gentlemen who are helping with the Bonsai.  Bonsai are avaiable for purchase at the Botanical Conservatory Gift Shop and the Mother's Day Plant Sale.

One of our greenhouses holds some of our larger plants including Bird of Paradise.  You can see these awesome gems at various locations throughout our parks and year around at the Botanical Conservatory.

Share this article