During the late 1700s, greenhouses at Bartram’s Garden were heated by burning wood in an iron furnace. The furnace was called the Franklin Stove, named after its creator, Benjamin Franklin. The stove radiated heat from its iron structure but could only store heat for a short time and had no vents to allow the fire to breathe. Over two hundred years have passed and the technology and efficiency of greenhouses has come a long way.
Bartram’s Garden is excited to announce that it has modernized its greenhouse capabilities, which will give the Garden’s horticulturists and farmers the ability to extend their growing season in a temperature-controlled setting. The new Bartram’s Garden Greenhouse is heated with electric heaters and is covered with two layers of plastic that have air circulating in between them for insulation. With this new structure, our horticulturists are able to increase the number of culturally significant plants that are grown for planting in the Garden and for sale to the public. These plants speak to both the history of plant exploration and the current interests of the Southwest community. The plants grown in the greenhouse are sold through the Bartram’s Garden nursery and support the preservation of the landscape and community programs!
Don’t miss our spring plant sale on Saturday, April 27 from 10:30 am to 4pm, where you will find delicious herbs, pollinator plants, vegetables, shrubs, and trees. Some of these plants were grown in your own backyard at Bartram’s Garden. We hope to see you there!
Bartram’s Garden would love to hear your ideas! Go to this link to let us know what you are interested in seeing at the Bartram’s Garden plant sale.
