When the days of summer are nothing more than a distant memory and gardens have long been put to bed, the landscape in Calgary fades to a drab brown. Dormant for another season, life and colour seem to be gone from our outdoor world. But all is not lost beneath the snow and slush. Dreary winter months bring evergreens front and centre, highlighting the prominent shapes and forms of shrubs and trees. Despite nature’s best efforts to bring a little greenery into the winter months, the vibrancy of summer is greatly subdued.

Occasionally it’s nice to escape the monotony of winter and see vibrant colour again. Rather than spending money jetting off to a tropical locale, why not stay right here in Calgary for a burst of summer? How, you say? It’s as easy as planning an escape to the newly renovated Enmax Conservatory at the Zoo. After closing for a little over a year for an extreme makeover (it was 40-years-old), the new and improved conservatory re-opened in mid-November.

The embodiment of the colour green reaches farther than in just the plant life growing within the conservatory. Environmentally responsible and sustainable building methods were used in construction, while striving to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, the first facility of its kind to do so.

The new conservatory not only serves as an example of sustainability, but also provides a valuable educational experience. Interactive displays of alternative energy and new technologies teach people how these things can be incorporated into homes and everyday life. Of course, its main purpose is botanical education and in the Garden of Life lush displays of plants from around the world, interspersed with informative listening stations and signs, examine the intertwined relationship between humankind and plants throughout history and across cultures. Life without plants would not be possible; we depend on them not only for food, but shelter, clothing, and even the air we breathe. A feast for the senses, the Garden of Life is a breath of fresh air in the winter, filling the air with earthy scents, the sound of flowing water and vibrant flowers on full display.

Gracing the main atrium entrance, along with the sustainable energy displays, is an epiphyte tree (epiphytes or air plants grow on other plants in a non-parasitic way). Orchids, bromeliads and other colourful and exotic plants are kept in a support greenhouse until they are ready to bloom, then are transferred to the atrium to show off their flowers to the public.

The Garden Gallery across the hall is filled with seasonal flowering plants. From spring until fall it will be a flutter with the wings of thousands of butterflies. Also housed in the conservatory is a new lab and classroom. The zoo has always been a leader in horticultural education, ever since the city decided to put gardens on St. George’s Island in 1909. Today

they offer numerous classes in plant identification, landscape design, horticultural therapy and much more. Visit the zoo’s website at www.calgaryzoo.com for a list of classes.

The Dorothy Harvie Gardens are also one of three sites in Alberta which evaluate the hardiness of new perennial plant varieties as part of the Alberta Perennial Trials. Fifty new plants are introduced each year for a total of 150 varieties at a time, which are grown for three years, then evaluated for winter survival rates, growth rates, bloom data, incidence of pests and diseases, and general landscape value. Over 500 cultivars and species have been rated in trials since 1999. A list of the current trial is available yearly at the zoo gift shop.

In the summer the gardens at the zoo are a great place to wander to see some rare specimens (such as a Ginko Biloba tree, a living fossil) as well as an extensive Iris and Peony collection. You can get good planting ideas for your own garden here. The zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Another local tropical escape which is also currently undergoing an extreme makeover (it was over 30-years-old) is the Devonian Gardens, downtown in TD Square.

At 2.5 acres, and with 20,000 plants, it is the largest indoor garden in North America. When it re-opens in Oct. 2010, it will be covered by the world’s longest continuous skylight, part of renovations to the whole downtown mall. It will once again be a bright and colourful indoor oasis where you can be oblivious to the outside world.

Patricia Johnson is a Journeyman Landscape Gardener and ISA Arborist with 20 years of experience in various aspects of the horticulture industry. She can be reached at 403-246-0175.