Green Space

By Rebecca Dumais

On the outside the Oakville Municipal Greenhouse is unassumingly austere, but inside it’s a mini tropical oasis complete with lush greenery intermingled with colourful plants and flowers and water features.

It’s a relaxing space open to the public for anyone looking for a quiet reprieve. On the strictly municipal side, the greenhouse functions as the operation headquarters for growing the town’s greenery. About 100,000 plants are grown each year for the town’s parks, street planters, and hanging baskets, as well as preparing 377 hanging baskets and 312 barrels for display throughout the town each summer. Those favourite fall mums –about 2,500 of them – are grown here and planted throughout Oakville’s parks.

The greenhouse, located at 1100 Cornwall Road, is run by Steve Wiersma, Manager of Parks Operations, and Galina Tchouprikova, Senior Green House Operator, and assisted by a group of 20 volunteers (many of them long-term) who help with seedling transplants each April and during the Doors Open event.

Tchouprikova enjoys taking individual care of the plants which all have different growing conditions. “I like to supply Parks with a variety of plants that residents appreciate,” she says. “I enjoy seeing the designs from these flowers that gardeners create for Parks’ flower beds. I like when Downtown, Kerr, and Bronte BIAs complement our work on hanging baskets and planters that are placed on streets.”

Some of the tropical plants, which are between 20 – 30 years old, shouldn’t be missed during your visit, including Michelina champaca, pink lemon tree, crimson bottlebrush, natal plum, and Ponderosa lemon. During the holiday season, a beautiful poinsettia tree adds festive flare and forced bulbs are on display during the Spring Show. The patio boasts beautiful displays; a great place to pause and enjoy as you’re surrounded by flowering plumeria, bougainvillea, lantana, bay laurel, fig, and olive trees.

Need a cure to combat those dreary months? Wiersma says the greenhouse is one of his favourite places to visit, especially in the winter. “The public conservatory has a great number of tropical plants that remind me of visiting the Caribbean,” he says. “My favourite plants are the Ponderosa Lemon, and the cactus and succulent collection.”

Open from September – June and private bookings only in July and August.

For more info, visit: Oakville.ca