A stroll around an old-fashioned, Victorian conservatory filled with tropical palms, ferns, ivy, amaryllis and orchids, and set in a beautiful park designed by Frederick Law Olmstead might just fill the bill. Last weekend, I escaped with my own Valentine to the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, located on South Park Ave., in Buffalo for an afternoon of tropical gardens and a relaxing stroll around the woodland park. Located just a half-hour drive from Niagara, Ont., the gardens are tucked into a quiet neighbourhood and offer free on-site parking and plenty of nearby restaurants for a quiet dinner after an afternoon or evening visit to the gardens.
Made up of three glass domes and nine greenhouses, this impressive conservatory is situated on 3.75 hectares at the entrance to Buffalo's historic South Park. The glass, wood and steel conservatory, designed by Lord & Burnham, .Co., was based on the famous Crystal Palace in Kew Gardens Palm House in England. When the conservatory opened in 1900, it was one of the largest public greenhouses in the country and cost $130,000. Today, the structure is one of only two remaining Lord & Burnham conservatories incorporated into a Fredrick Law Olmsted-designed park in the country.
In 1979, the conservatory was in need of repair and was in danger of closing its doors. Florence DaLuiso, whose home is across the street from the Conservatory, formed the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Society in 1979 in an effort to save the building by leading school tours and showing the children its treasures. The publicity worked, and the County of Erie took over the Conservatory in 1981.
Now-retired executive director James Tilley graciously took time from packing up his office to speak with me on the day of my visit.
"The conservatory is manned by a staff of 16, along with some 200 volunteers," he explained. "We just couldn't do it without the volunteers. Every day, a busload of third graders arrives for programs offered in the greenhouse."
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Society Inc., a not-for-profit organization, manages the facility. "We depend on memberships and admissions for funding," he continued.
Directly off the entrance portico, the Palm Dome soars 20.42-metres tall and is filled with lush palms and tropical fruit trees. Interpretive maps direct visitors on a walking tour through the gardens and around the world as they visit plant collections from exotic lands. It may be cold and snowing outside, but it feels like you're in a different world the minute you step into this tropical oasis.
Florida Everglades House showcases the importance of maintaining wetlands, the Earth's natural filtration system.
The largest public ivy collection in the world (400-plus cultivars) is featured in the Victorian Ivy and Herb House, along with herbs and scented geraniums. Vines clamber over a gazebo, there is a secret grotto and children are invited to see if they can find all of the frogs hidden among the plants in the checkerboard display. Victorian accents and statuary decorate this pretty house.
The Desert House includes a fascinating display of North American cacti and agave plants and a collection of succulents from South Africa. Kids (and the young at heart) will really enjoy the variety of textures and colours in this house, look for velvety Panda Plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa) from Madagascar, furry Mexican Firecracker (Echiveria setosa), and watch out for the Echinocactus grusonii with needle-like spines running along the ribbed edges of this sphere-shaped North American native.
The soothing sound of splashing water echoes throughout the greenhouse thanks in part to a nine-metre waterfall surrounded by banana trees and huge ferns, in the Fern House. Bright orange, red and white koi populate a large pond at the foot of the cascade. With a pretty arched footbridge and huge dinosaur and lizard topiaries, the pond is a magnet for youngsters and photographers alike.
Speaking of photography, the facility includes a sleek new exhibition space, the Arcangel Gallery, located just beyond the Palm Dome. Until March 6, you can enjoy Photographs of the Gardens by James Sedwick. His intuitive studies of koi and reflections in the pool in the Fern House, along with scenes from the gardens, were fascinating to explore.
"We're thrilled about an upcoming exhibit of paintings by autistic children," said James Tilley. "It is going to be very exciting to showcase their work!"
If you're looking for a romantic Valentine's Day outing, imagine an evening stroll through a Victorian Glasshouse illuminated with theatrical lighting. Night Lights at the Gardens is open Thursday through Saturday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. until Feb. 19. The Amaryllis and Cymbidium Show continues until Feb. 21; an Orchid Show is scheduled for Feb. 26-27. You can check their website for more events.
After touring the greenhouse, we bundled up and followed the circular drive around the arboretum. Views across the pond, through mature stands of trees and eventually back toward the conservatory, as Olmstead envisioned them, are still lovely. Birdsong rang through the meadows and woods, and we could hear children squealing with delight as they slid down the gentle hills by the conservatory. Olmstead would certainly approve.
Theresa Forte is a local garden consultant, writer and photographer. You can reach her by calling 905-351-7540 or by e-mail theresa_forte@sympatico.ca
Need to know
The Buffalo and Erie Country Botanical Gardens 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo, N.Y. 14218; www.buffalogardens.com for more details
Adult admission $6, seniors (55+) $5, children (3-12) $3, but check the website, prices vary for special shows.
Free parking
Arboretum, parkland and outdoor display gardens are free of charge.
Frederick Law Olmstead
Landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted, Sr. (1822-1903) was the chief architect for New York City's Central Park. He designed a park system for Buffalo with connecting parkways and circles. Buffalo was the first American city to adopt this concept and became Olmsted's model for other cities.
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