Whiting Laners Looking To Bring Back Greenhouses

Looks like a case of what's old is new again.

If you are a long time resident of West Hartford, you probably recall the greenhouses that were situated in the present south parking lot area over at Whiting Lane school. It used to be the home of the Whiting Greenhouses, Inc, first owned by the Peterson family who bought a tree nursery from the Whiting family in 1915. The greenhouse had a florist there up until the late 1980's or so. The land was sold to the town in the mid-1990s. The Knox Park Foundation had used the greenhouses for a gardener training program which they started in the fall of 1995 on a temporary basis. West Hartford town officials then planned to demolish the greenhouses when work was planned for the expansion of the elementary school. Before the greenhouses could be demolished, the Knox Park Foundation decided to save them from demolition.

Jack Hale, the then Knox Park Foundation's executive director and other Knox officials and volunteers came and dismantled the greenhouses. They kept it in storage until 1996. Then the Foundation obtained a $30,000 grant and were able to rebuild the greenhouses on Laurel Street to be used by the Knox Park Foundation and their horticultural programs.

Now according to the report in the Hartford Courant

Whiting Lane Elementary School misses the greenhouses and is doing something about it.

Since the 1800s, greenhouses had been located on the property where Whiting Lane — which takes its name after the family that owned Whiting's Nursery in the area — now stands. But in the mid-1990s, community greenhouses that remained next to the school were removed because of a campus expansion.

Last week, though, the school held a nature festival that kicked off its "Bring Back the Greenhouse!" campaign. Educators at Whiting Lane envision the greenhouse as taking an active role in the curriculum, with students participating in growing food and plants as a way to understanding the earth's resources.

Lee Gluck, the school's library media specialist, is leading the effort to reinstitute a greenhouse by next summer. Those interested in donating to the Greenhouse Fund can contact Gluck at lee_gluck@whps.org or 860-233-8541, Ext. 2032.

Kids get so much out of growing things. A greenhouse would be a wonderful addition to Whiting Lane School and would add tremendously to the science program as well as to the study of nutrition and conservation.

This is definitely a project for the community and Town at large to get behind.