Cantigny Park is home to over 300 different species of flowers, but during the winter most plants can’t survive. Thankfully, the park has a temporary place where the plants can live.
“We have 18,000 square feet of green house space. It was built in 1987 and at the time it was pretty much state of the art,” said Bob Carr, Cantigny Park’s greenhouse manager. “It still is a very current greenhouse, and it offers us a great growing space.”
The greenhouse has several sections, each with different temperatures that simulate the plants’ natural environment.
“Typically in the first house we’ll have things that are more tropical in nature, and [another house] is mainly things that will tolerate the cooler weather and will be able to go out in the spring time,” said Carr.
The park will grow over 40,000 plants during the spring, and estimate they’ll grow over 200,000 plants by the end of the year.
Carr says his team will use over 5,000 gallons of water a day in the spring to water plants around the park’s garden and golf course.
Cantigny Park will have an open greenhouse on May 5, and people will get the chance to learn more about how plants are grown.
“Primarily it’ll be all the summer plants that you’ll come to see. We’ll have groups that’ll be here from Scarce, Midwest Fruit Explorers, and Illinois Extension. And they’ll all be here for educational purposes so you can learn ore about what they do and how it relates to plants,” said Carr.
Naperville News 17’s Christian Canizal reports.
