A Perfect Place in Baltimore...



                          

                The Palm House
                                                 The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens

I have enjoyed visiting The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens most of my life. Early on, it was the beacon that marked the halfway point during numerous childhood trips between my family’s northwest Baltimore home and my grandparents’ house on the Eastside. It was the palatial structure that stood adjacent to the clay tennis courts where my friends and I saturated our white, canvass tennis shoes with bright orange dust as teens. And, it was home to the very first nursery from which I purchased plants during my early college years.

Welcome!

Since its renovation, the conservatory’s role and structure have expanded. The Mediterranean House, Tropical House and Desert House, additions to the original 1888 Victorian Palm House and Orchid Room, allow visitors to roam through each area’s climate and learn a little something about that setting. The hot dry summers of the Mediterranean, lush green foliage and exotic plants of the tropics, and harsh dry temps of the dessert provide a soothing backdrop for anyone who needs an occasional infusion of flowers, greenery, sunshine or almost any summer-like climate condition for rejuvenation throughout the year.

A Mediterranean Paradise



A Dessert Retreat




A Tropical Oasis

My personal favorite, the Tropical House, comforts visitors with tiny waterfalls that trickle into a Koi-stocked pond. Surrounded by brilliantly colored flora and other indigenous plant life, the pond area is the perfect place to sit and enjoy a leisurely lunch. If you look very closely and wait patiently, the grand daddy of them all (At least, that’s what I call him.), a giant speckled ornamental fish that normally lurks near the bottom, will surface and let you catch a glimpse.

   



Lurking...



   

The Grand Daddy of Koi...

Druid Hill Park’s Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory is one of the best things about Baltimore. It has become a major venue for arts events, weddings, fundraisers and meetings. Also, it plays host to a Spring Flower Show, Fall Chrysanthemum Show, Holiday Poinsettia displays and seasonal open houses. And while it is a wonderful indoor location, the almost two-acre garden’s 35 flowerbeds are just as enticing. Then, of course, there's the added attraction of a colorful tile mosaic at the building's entrance circle, which was designed by renowned international artist and Baltimore local Joyce J. Scott.




Mosaic tile mural by Joyce J. Scott





The Baltimore Conservatory Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3), working in partnership with the City of Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks Horticultural Division, provides support to the conservatory through its membership's financial support and volunteerism. Membership information is available on the organization’s Web site (http://www.baltimoreconservatory.org/main.html).

Located at the Gwynn Falls Parkway entrance to the park, the conservatory is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but a $2 donation is suggested.

Check out additional photographs of The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens at https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=jannjwit&target=ALBUM&id=5605466822143394993&authkey=Gv1sRgCLfgy-SPqY3kEw&feat=email