Wheaton greenhouses to welcome visitors March 12

The Wheaton College greenhouses will be open for tours and a repotting clinic on Wednesday, March 12, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Horticulturalist and greenhouse caretaker Jane Young will start visitors on a self-guided tour of the facility, which includes a desert environment as well as a mini rain forest.

The greenhouses, located at the rear of the Science Center, are open four times each academic year. Visitors are encouraged to bring a houseplant they wish to repot (wrapped for protection against the cold) and a pot two inches larger than the current container.

The greenhouse staff will assist aspiring ''green thumbs'' as needed, and advise on proper plant care. A nominal fee is charged per plant to cover the cost of soil. In addition, a selection of plant specimens will be available for sale.

The Wheaton College greenhouses were built in the mid 1960s thanks to a grant by the Esso Education Foundation, and they comprise two houses side by side. The greenhouses are an important site for research conducted by faculty and students. Projects have included dormant seed germination from sand banks and wetlands, nutrient studies, and genetic inheritance in consecutive generations.

The greenhouses also serve to supply materials for experimentation during class laboratories. For example, students can use spines from cacti for micro-surgery, or search among the Polypodiums for prothallia and sporophytes.

Exhibition is a third function of the Wheaton greenhouses. A wide variety of plant life is maintained in a minimally controlled environment in order to allow the specimens to display their natural growth tendencies. Any needed pest control is accomplished with organic substances so as not to interfere any more than is necessary with the ecosphere. A program using predatory, beneficial insects has also been instituted. By keeping one house warm and fairly dry, and the other more humid, it is possible to display both desert and tropical species in a spatially limited facility. A newly installed garden pool allows for the inclusion of aquatic species. Plants are arranged by family, genus, and species and labeled as such along with a code to their care that is described at the entrance to each house.

During the 1994-95 academic year, a program of community outreach was instituted. Area garden clubs are contacted and invited to tour the greenhouses as a public service. Additionally, home school students visit along with public school classes. Liaison work with other colleges and local nurseries has also increased visibility and established a working relationship beyond the Wheaton campus. A small area holds duplicate specimens for purchase by visitors. Donations are welcome to help maintain, repair and renovate the greenhouses.

Please contact Jane Young, the greenhouse caretaker, at (508) 286-3943 or e-mail her at jyoung@wheatonma.edu to arrange for a greenhouse tour or to seek assistance for you or your organization. You can also visit the greenhouse online to find out what's blooming now.