September 28, 2000
The C. Fred Edwards Conservatory at the Huntington Museum of Art is the only one of its kind in West Virginia. It features subtropical plants and seasonal displays as well.
Permanent Plants at the Edwards Conservatory include: foxtail palms, Australian tree ferns, zebra plants and golden shrimp plants.
For the holidays, the conservatory plants include poinsettias and cyclamen. For Spring there are freesias, primroses, lilies and cineraria. Summer brings caladium and New Guinea impatiens, while Fall brings chrysanthemums and asters.
The museum has had a nature program since it was founded, which includes two and a half miles of trails that wind through the museum's woodland area. The museum offers guided tours of the trails upon request, and they are frequently used by the museum's summer day camp.
There are also two herb gardens that are maintained by the museum. One is a knot garden that has been under renovation for the past year. According to the garden volunteers, it is important to periodically replace plants in knots so the display does not become woody or misshapen.
The other garden is an educational bed that includes culinary and ornamental herbs. The volunteers harvest from this bed throughout the summer, and sell herbs during the holidays.
For more information on the museum, click here: HMA
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T. Michael Murdock, HNN News Editor