Muttart Conservatory
Encyclopedia
The Muttart Conservatory is a botanical garden
located in the North Saskatchewan river
valley, across from downtown Edmonton. The conservatory
consists of four glass
, pyramid
-shaped structures that showcase plant
s from arid, tropical, and temperate climate
s, providing a welcome oasis of warmth during winter. The fourth pyramid hosts a theme that changes throughout the year.
A donation from the Gladys and Merrill Muttart Foundation provided momentum for the conservatory's construction, with the remaining monies supplied by the Province of Alberta
and the City of Edmonton. The conservatory is staffed and operated by the Edmonton Parks and Recreation Department.
The conservatory's unusual structure, designed by architect Peter Hemingway
is composed of four glassed pyramids built around a central service core. The two larger' pyramids are 660 square meters in area, and the two medium-sized ones are 410 square meters in size. Three of the pyramids are devoted to displays of plants from the tropical, temperate, and arid regions respectively, the fourth being used for shows that change with the seasons and which feature massed displays of ornamental flowering plants.
The Temperate Pavilion houses plants typical of temperate climes, from such zones as the southern Great Lakes
, Australia
, and even the mountainous areas of Asia
. Near the entrance and fed by a stream is a bog area, with white water lilies and parrot's feather. The bog merges into a woodland with mostly eastern deciduous trees and low shrubs but including redwoods, cedars and pampas grass
. Eucalyptus
trees and flowering shrubs complement the Australian section. In the woodland floor and alpine section are many tiny flowering plants, some native to Alberta and others from all over the world.
The barren, rocky slopes of the Arid Pavilion offer contrast to the other houses. The Tropical Pavilion provides an enormous diversity of species; under a canopy of tall palms, banana and weeping fig are orchids, various hibiscus and the bird of paradise, to mention a few. In a smaller pyramid, the Feature Pavilion offers seasonal displays. Arriving with summer are geraniums, begonias, roses, and others.
The Muttart Conservatory offers a Horticultural Extension Service, allowing the general public to receive expert help in the diagnoses of the ills of their plants, both indoors and out. The conservatory also teaches courses on the care of plants. The conservatory gift shop offers a wide variety of ornamental plants. Admission to the conservatory used to be free to the public but after a six month renovation on 28 July 2009 it was $9.75 C$.
The facility, owned and operated by the City of Edmonton
, is also a popular site for special events, such as wedding
s. Recently, the conservatory underwent a $6.3 million renovation that was completed in June 2009.
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
located in the North Saskatchewan river
North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....
valley, across from downtown Edmonton. The conservatory
Conservatory (greenhouse)
A conservatory is a room having glass roof and walls, typically attached to a house on only one side, used as a greenhouse or a sunroom...
consists of four glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
, pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
-shaped structures that showcase plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s from arid, tropical, and temperate climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
s, providing a welcome oasis of warmth during winter. The fourth pyramid hosts a theme that changes throughout the year.
A donation from the Gladys and Merrill Muttart Foundation provided momentum for the conservatory's construction, with the remaining monies supplied by the Province of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and the City of Edmonton. The conservatory is staffed and operated by the Edmonton Parks and Recreation Department.
The conservatory's unusual structure, designed by architect Peter Hemingway
Peter Hemingway
Peter Hemingway was an award-winning English architect who practised mainly in Canada on public works.Hemingway was born in Minster, Kent and after gaining a diploma from Rochester Technical College he emigrated to Canada in 1955. Serving briefly in the Alberta Department of Public Works,...
is composed of four glassed pyramids built around a central service core. The two larger' pyramids are 660 square meters in area, and the two medium-sized ones are 410 square meters in size. Three of the pyramids are devoted to displays of plants from the tropical, temperate, and arid regions respectively, the fourth being used for shows that change with the seasons and which feature massed displays of ornamental flowering plants.
The Temperate Pavilion houses plants typical of temperate climes, from such zones as the southern Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and even the mountainous areas of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Near the entrance and fed by a stream is a bog area, with white water lilies and parrot's feather. The bog merges into a woodland with mostly eastern deciduous trees and low shrubs but including redwoods, cedars and pampas grass
Pampas Grass
Cortaderia selloana, commonly known as pampas grass, is a tall grass native to southern South America, including the pampas after which it is named, and Patagonia....
. Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
trees and flowering shrubs complement the Australian section. In the woodland floor and alpine section are many tiny flowering plants, some native to Alberta and others from all over the world.
The barren, rocky slopes of the Arid Pavilion offer contrast to the other houses. The Tropical Pavilion provides an enormous diversity of species; under a canopy of tall palms, banana and weeping fig are orchids, various hibiscus and the bird of paradise, to mention a few. In a smaller pyramid, the Feature Pavilion offers seasonal displays. Arriving with summer are geraniums, begonias, roses, and others.
The Muttart Conservatory offers a Horticultural Extension Service, allowing the general public to receive expert help in the diagnoses of the ills of their plants, both indoors and out. The conservatory also teaches courses on the care of plants. The conservatory gift shop offers a wide variety of ornamental plants. Admission to the conservatory used to be free to the public but after a six month renovation on 28 July 2009 it was $9.75 C$.
The facility, owned and operated by the City of Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, is also a popular site for special events, such as wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s. Recently, the conservatory underwent a $6.3 million renovation that was completed in June 2009.