BUFFALO, NY - On 11 acres in Buffalo's South Park sits a jewel in the Queen City's crown, the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens.
At the start of the 20th century, this was the third largest public greenhouse in the country, and it announced Buffalo's importance to the nation. "It was another reflection of this incredible Queen City on the Great Lakes," says David Swarts, President and CEO of the Buffalo and Erie Botanical Gardens.
Outside and in, it delights the senses with natural elegance, aromatic scents, and architectural beauty.
The countless glass panels, not only a part of this signature design, but also a key to supporting the delicate flora. On clear days, the sun's rays heat the greenhouses, but that alone is not enough to get through Buffalo's cold winter nights. That burden is borne not from above, but below, in the conservatory basement, a place rarely seen.
Walking here is like stepping back in time. The foundation, stone blocks stacked by hand, one by one, by craftsman in the 1800s. And their work stands strong. "It is a testament to the engineers who built this facility dating back to the turn of the 19th 20th century," says Swarts.
For all that remains from a century ago, much here has also changed. The heating, done first with coal fired boilers, has evolved. The old coal chute, no longer used for its original purpose, still provides fuel to heat the greenhouses. Now, however, it's through pipes of high pressure natural gas feeding twelve state of the art boilers controlled by sophisticated electronics.
"This is a great improvement over the previous technologies that were used to heat the facilities," says Swarts.
A fusion of the past and present, maintaining a delicate balance, and protecting tropical plants during Buffalo winters.
