The planting and replanting team at the International Peace Garden, led by horticulturists Johannes Olwage and Jonah Neufeld, has been working carefully to move the world-class collection of cacti and succulents to their new home at the Conservatory,
Peace Garden CEO, Tim Chapman, says the newly expanded Conservatory should be able to house all of the 6000 plants they have at their storage, as well as at the original end of the conservatory building.
Planting had just started earlier this month and moving the largest cactus of all was very exciting, says Chapman. "Staff had installed the heaviest cacti that we have. It took 6 of them and a couple of dollies to move it across the new expansion," he explains.
Weight-wise, Chapman says it might be pushing 1,000 pounds. "It's at least 10 feet at this point but it's one of the thicker ones and some of those plants really hold a lot of water! So, it's a little deceiving at times if you haven't been around them or been part of lifting to understand how much weight they really carry.
So, I think the team, Johannes and Jonah, were really focused on trying to get some of the biggest ones that needed to go the furthest from the old solarium in the front room all the way around to the new east corner, where they'll reside.".
"It's incredible to get to this point in the project. It seems like it's taking quite a while but it's really starting to take form and to see that first large cacti actually be in a bed where it will root, was a great moment for everyone!"
"It will probably take the staff two or three months to get every plant either planted or situated where it will be in the new landscape," he adds.
Photo gallery shares Johannes leading tours in the original Conservatory collection, as well as speaking with Don Vitko (sitting on bench) the Minto, N Dakota cacti collector who started the entire collection when he was just 10 years old. More recent pictures are of Tim Chapman leading a tour both inside and outside of the newly expanded Conservatory, before the soil and the plants were moved into place.
The Grand Opening for the new Conservatory is scheduled for December 9, 2023.
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