Parkwood Estate Greenhouse
Touring the Greenhouses at the McLaughlin Family Home in Oshawa
Jan 15, 2008
Parkwood Estate is a national historic site and while visitors will enjoy a tour of the residence, which has featured prominently in several Hollywood films, gardeners will most enjoy a trip to Parkwood to see the greenhouses and gardens. Visiting in the spring or summer means the extensive, formal, outdoor gardens can be enjoyed. However, the winter months have something to offer, also, since there are three large greenhouses open to the public.
Location
- Address: 270 Simcoe Street North, at Adelaide Avenue, Oshawa, Ontario.
- Contact Information: Telephone (905) 433-4311, Fax (905) 721-4765 or by e-mail
McLaughlin Family History
As most residents of Oshawa know, Colonel Robert Samuel McLaughlin was the founder of General Motors. He lived with his wife, Adelaide and together they had five daughters, Eileen, Mildred, Isabel, Hilda and Eleanor. The family had a keen interest in horticulture and landscaping, as is evident to every visitor of their home, Parkwood Estate in Oshawa. During the time "Colonel Sam" and Adelaide lived at Parkwood, they had 11 greenhouses and staffed 24 professional and award-winning gardeners to design and maintain the grounds. Parkwood Estate was designated as a heritage property by the Heritage Oshawa Municipal Committee in February, 2000.
Visitors to the greenhouse can enter through the gift shop, located at the north end of the estate. The door to the greenhouse complex is located at the back of the gift shop.
The Palm House
The first room on the greenhouse tour is The Palm House, a one and a half storey structure. The Palm House contains many specialty plants, including a bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae), several varieties of palms, a cactus and succulent bed, several coleus and some more common houseplants such as spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum). According to Heritage Oshawa, at one time the Palm House was surrounded by glass panes, but this has since been replaced with plexi-glass.
The Japanese Garden
In the Japanese Garden, a koi pond serves as home to dozens of fish, several of which are of impressive size. In this part of the greenhouse, there are also a beautiful, large flowering jade plant and a burro’s tail (Sedum morganianum), which often blooms in the greenhouse. Several flowering bromeliads are tucked away into corners.
The Orchid House
The third part of the greenhouse is The Orchid House, which houses a tea room and hundreds of blooming orchids, including dendrobium and phalaenopsis species. Reservations can be made for afternoon tea during a greenhouse visit. Visitors will enjoy sitting among the orchids, tropical plants and flowers while indulging in fresh baked goods, paired with a cup of hot tea or coffee.
On a sunny winter morning it can be very refreshing to breathe in some greenery and look at some interesting plants. Visitors to Parkwood Estate greenhouses will enjoy getting a fix of green during the long winter months. For more information regarding historic sites in Oshawa, visit Heritage Oshawa's website.
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