Come on Chicago, think Spring! Come out to either the warm Garfield Park Conservatory or the warm Lincoln Park Conservatory and escape from the snow with the free Spring Flower Show. Nice and toasty under its Victorian-style glass house, the free Lincoln Park Conservatory boasts an impressive collection of palms, ferns, tropical plants and a show house for seasonal exhibits. At the tropical free Garfield Park Conservatory, come view the free Spring Flower Show to enjoy gorgeous flowers long before they are blooming naturally outside. The show will cure your winter blues with pinks, whites, reds, and fuschias! Enjoy a burst of azaleas during the first half of the show – some of which are descendants of azaleas on display at the 1893 Columbian Exposition! Hydrangeas will be featured in the second half of the show – blooming in pinks, whites and blues.
Location:
Lincoln Park Conservatory
Hours: Monday – Sunday 9 am – 5 pm
2391 North Stockton Drive – Chicago, IL
Contact:
312-742-7736
www.explorechicago.org
Location:
Show House
Garfield Park Conservatory
Hours: 9 am – 5 pm daily, Wednesdays until 8 pm
300 North Central Park Avenue – Chicago, IL
Contact:
773-638-1766
www.garfield-conservatory.org
Not So Free Spring Flower Events
If you want more flowers, also check out the the Chicago Flower & Garden Show on March 6-14, 2010 at Navy Pier, While not free, (costs $15-$17 for adults and kids under 12 are $5), the show runs until March 14, 2010. For more information visit ChicagoFlower.com. You also may want to check out The Midwest Gardening Symposium at The Morton Arboretum which runs from March 5-7, 2010. This is this is the Super Bowl of Gardening with gardeners, plant people, and designers from around the country teaching classes, seminar and “how-to’s”. Visit this page for information on presentations and sessions (cost: $$$$).
