Como Conservatory to celebrate 100th anniversary

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IOC12_14_ComoConservBy JANE MCCLURE

We may be approaching the height of winter, but on the drawing boards at Como Park, a centennial garden is blooming. The Marjorie McNeeley Conservatory will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2015 and part of the celebration will include the planting of a centennial garden.

Michelle Furrer, manager of the Como Campus, said the garden is one aspect of the celebration being planned. “It’s an exciting event for us,” she said.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Commission has reviewed garden plans over the past several months, not just for the Centennial Garden but for other gardens as well. City staff has worked to secure grants to improve the gardens.

The goal is to have the centennial Garden completed by June 2015. That is when St. Paul is hosting the American Public Gardens Association conference.

The association has been involved with cities including St. Paul for many years. It was founded in 1940 as the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. Its name was changed in 2006.

The association is considered to be the premiere association for public gardens in North America, with more than 500 members spread across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and seven other countries. Individual members live in every state, the District of Columbia, Canada, and 24 other countries. The association is dedicated to increasing the knowledge of public garden professionals throughout North America, and it shares information, provides professional development and networking opportunities, conducts research and raises public awareness of what its members do.

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is a focal point of the group’s visit, especially the conservatory and its many gardens and features. While there are plans for visitors to explore other areas of the park, the gardens will be a focal point.

What is now called the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory opened its doors to the public as the Como Park Conservatory on Nov. 7, 1915. It was built as a “show house” where visitors could come in all seasons to enjoy tropical and semi-tropical splendors, and a shelter for the many plants the park displays in its indoor and outdoor gardens. It is one of the few remaining original Victorian style glasshouses in North America and is about two acres in size. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974. That means changes to the structure and its grounds require review and approval by the St. Paul heritage Preservation Commission.

It was renamed in 2002 in memory of the late Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park, after her family made a contribution in her honor.

Garden improvements are part of the park and conservatory’s ongoing master plan, said Furrer. Plans call for redeveloping the park’s Forecourt Gardens, which will include the new Centennial Garden. ‘The garden will serve as a focal point of the centennial celebration for the conservatory, which interpretive messages about the volunteers and visionaries who created the conservatory. It will also provide an outdoor setting for regular visitors as well as after-hour events. As part of a phased pan to create a more managed landscape in front of the visitor center, it will be designed in a way to improve the flow of pedestrians. It is also envisioned as a natural gathering spot for people waiting for the Como facilities to open, or a meeting place for families and friends.

The Centennial Garden is to be the first garden area completed. It would complement a circle garden and English gardens, as well as the planned renovation of the lily pond.

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