About

The Regina Floral Conservatory: Growing Wellness

Mission

Through the floral conservatory, we collaborate with our partners to connect people with plants by providing education, programming, and events to foster wellbeing, harmony, and a lifelong love of nature.

Vision

To grow a strong, sustainable community that values spending time with plants to cultivate health, hope, and happiness to achieve a state of wellbeing.

The Regina Floral Conservatory is operated and maintained by volunteers of the Regina Garden Associates, a non-profit, charitable organization, in partnership with the City of Regina. The Conservatory is home to Regina’s premiere indoor garden display and is open seven days a week from September to June. During the operating season, there are six featured floral displays that are designed, installed, and maintained by our volunteers . The Conservatory is also a venue for regularly scheduled events (teas and meditation classes) small weddings and other social gatherings.

The current facility was established by the City of Regina during the 1950s. It housed the main office building for the City Parks and Recreation Department and also consisted of three small greenhouses to grow plant material used to beautify the city, as well as a wide variety of educational programming (from school tours to Lil’ Gardeners Club). The conservatory is also available to rent for private events. It was later opened to the public featuring a variety of themed displays, so that the citizens of Regina and area could enjoy an indoor green space. Another large production greenhouse was built in 1986 and was used by the City until 1999, when it was leased to Trico Farms, a commercial greenhouse operation. This greenhouse was dismantled in 2008 to make room for the new Parks and Open Space office building directly south of the old building. Two of the small greenhouses were dismantled in 1990, and in 1996, Regina’s City Council proposed to close the remaining greenhouse (the one open to the public) and their horticultural program in favour of contracting commercial suppliers for plant material for city parks and flowerbeds. Due to enthusiastic public support, the display greenhouse was kept open, and in 1999, a partnership was formed with the RGA to maintain the floral display, organize rentals and events, and operate a small gift shop in the main facility.

Regina Garden Associates

The RGA was formed as a non-profit organization in 1991 with the goal of supporting the establishment and development of horticultural projects within the City of Regina. The original group of 12 members has grown over the years to a membership of more than 200 dedicated volunteers with a passion for gardening, plants and all things green. In 1999, the RGA and the City formed a partnership to maintain a 315 square meter greenhouse display, oversee special events and run a small gift shop. Fundraising activities have varied and have included teas, a gift shop, tree banding kits, plant sales, “Grow and Show” contests, gardening classes, seed packaging and sales, and facility rental and promotion. Over the last three decades, the RGA has focused on working with students, teachers and parents from Regina and area schools to foster awareness of gardening, horticulture and the environment.