Gary's Baltimore Trip Part 4: Rawlings Conservatory part 2: Lemons,Butterflies,History and Sundial

Tom and Rob in a Greenhouse

This is Part 4 of a Baltimore tour! As I mentioned in yesterday's blog our friend Gary visited and we toured him around Baltimore. In today's blog,we return to the Rawlings Conservatory for a close up of  gorgeous plants, a wacky sundial and a butterfly visitor!

HUGE LEMONS - There was one plant where the lemons were as big as softballs!  They reminded us of the giant lemons of the Italian town of Sorrento. 

Huge Lemon

BUTTERFLIES! The greenhouses had quite a number of butterflies, and one beautiful orange one posed for a close up photo.

FAST FACT - Baltimore City has a number of parks, like the one Rawlings is found in. Each of those parks once housed a similar conservatory, but they've all been torn down. Only Rawlings remains.

HISTORY OF THE CONSERVATORY:

Butterfly close up!

   Established in 1888 as the Druid Hill Conservatory, the Howard P. Rawlings Conservatory has grown from the original Palm House and Orchid Room to include three greenhouses, two display pavilions and outdoor gardens.
   In 1874, Baltimore City park commissioners designated sufficient ground and proposed to establish a botanical conservatory in Druid Hill Park. The committee also directed George A. Frederick, the park architect, to design and make plans for the new building. Mr. Abbott Kenny, a member of the committee for the conservatory, traveled to Europe to visit the famous Kew Gardens of London, a model for the new design.
The idea was abandoned but was revived in 1885. The plan called for a structure of iron and wood with a Palm House at its center. The building would be built using Baltimore workmen. The Conservatory opened Aug. 26, 1888, to a well-received audience of about 300 visitors.

An exotic plant!

Mediterranean Room

Tropical Room

Sundial sits in the middle of the outdoor garden walk

OUTDOOR GARDEN AND CRAZY SUNDIAL -

The Sundial in the Garden is an unusual, multi-faceted sundial created by Peter Hamilton of Guilford and Waltersville Granite Company and was presented to the City of Baltimore around 1890. It was originally crafted out of granite but has since been covered in bronze. The sundial records the times for Baltimore, Cape Cod, Rio de Janeiro, San Francisco, Pitcairn Island, Sitka, Honolulu, Jeddo (Tokyo), Calcutta, Cape Town, Jerusalem, Fernando Po, and London.

NOTE:    The time recorded on the dial is not in sync with today’s clocks. Before standard time was enacted in 1884, people used solar time. This meant that noon on Cape Cod arrived earlier than noon in Baltimore.  Today, especially during daylight savings time, the dial can be off by as much as an hour and 45 minutes. (That's exactly what I told Tom!)

 

Many sided sundial with cities around the world

EVENTS AT THE RAWLINGS -

The Conservatory hosts a variety of special activities year-round, including public programs, gardening and art workshops, exhibits, lectures, events, and our famous seasonal displays.

The Conservatory, with the help of the Baltimore Conservatory Association and other partners, hosts special events throughout the year. Past events have included cocktail and garden parties, concerts, lectures, plant society meetings, and workshops.  
FOR THE EVENT CALENDAR: http://www.rawlingsconservatory.org/calendar/

Rawlings Conservatory from the front

NEXT: HISTORIC FORT MC HENRY, HOME OF THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER