‘A tropical paradise:’ Families escape cold at the Floral Conservatory

Flowers and gardens are in short supply across Saskatchewan during the winter, but there is a hidden oasis in Regina where people can pretend it’s spring.

Inside the Regina Floral Conservatory on Fourth Avenue, you would never know that the windchill values are -40 C.

“It’s a little bit of vacation without having to pay the price,” volunteer Lorelai Camphog said with a laugh.

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week the conservatory transformed into a summer paradise for dozens of families with children aged one to five enrolled in the Lil’ Gardener’s Club.

“The kids just absolutely love it. They can hardly wait to come, they’re just so excited,” Camphog said, noting all 70 spots filled up within two days of registration for the winter session. “It’s a place to get a little bit of summer in the wintertime. It’s nice to be able to play in the sand and play in the dirt.”

For Candy Hui and her son Carson Lee, who is almost three, the dirt table is always a highlight.

“It’s like a tropical paradise on a freezing cold day,” Hui commented. “Even though it’s cold outside it’s nice in here. You get to enjoy being outside in an indoor space.”

While a change of scenery is always a good escape for parents and caregivers of kids who are tired of being cooped up indoors, Hui really appreciates the learning aspect. Along with free play stations and crafts, the kids also get to take home a potted plant they help transplant.

“I love it because I don’t have a green thumb at all and this is teaching him about life, plant life,” Hui said. “We were reading an Elmo book about where food came from and there was a quote that said fruit and vegetables come from a plant’s flower or roots, and Cheryl just showed us roots today so he can kind of get the concept from the book with real-life experience without digging through the plants we have at home.”

Cheryl Zankl is one of the volunteers running the plant station and she said seeing the kids’ faces as they learn about plants is very rewarding. The atmosphere of greenery and warmth seems to have a way of boosting spirits for people of all ages.

“It’s nice to be able to come into a facility like this and just enjoy some heat where it’s warm and it’s tropical,” Zankl said. “It’s just not something you can do very often in the winter.”

The Conservatory is open every day of the week with hours posted on the website. Admission is by donation, which is a lot more affordable than a plane ticket.