My friend Torrance and I took a trip recently back up to Norman*, Oklahoma, since her daughter and son-in-law graduated from the University of Oklahoma and she knew the area pretty well. While touring around, I looked for garden centers we could possibly visit and I found a good one!!!
Torrance loves garden centers as much as I do and we have a lot in common: she worked and retired from the same school district as I am currently working for here in North Texas, she loves to garden, and we belong to the IOOF, which is where we met.
But I digress! We actually drove up just to tour around Norman, Oklahoma, to see the university, have lunch and maybe do some shopping. I hadn’t been to a mall since Covid broke out over a year ago. We did do that later in the day, but while the weather was nice and cool and so sunny that day, we just had to stop by a few garden centers…
And by searching my phone for garden centers, that is how we found The Greenhouse…
The archway in the lead photograph is one of the ways into seven or more actual cold frames and greenhouses on the property. This is a massive garden center where they actually pot-on clippings and root up seedlings for sale.
You can tour around most of the areas and piles of plastic trays are situated here and there for toting your garden finds around as you go about the yard. Customers can pick up a tray and plunk plants into them to carry around. Of course, then you find too many pretties to easily carry around, so you transfer them to a sweet Red Flyer wagon. There are “stands” of these wagons in the green houses and inside the main building. ;)’
We had the best time enjoying running water fountains and watching the koi splashing about and waiting for food to drop into their pond in the main garden area! Each area is set up for either house plants or starts and bigger containers to plant outdoors.
We found areas with gorgeous ferns, banana trees and lush palms, other areas with tables full of roses… No English roses but many of the Knockout pinks and reds ~ which do well here in the southern midwest and plains of Oklahoma and Texas. I was just enjoying looking around and took no photographs of these… Sorry! I did however take a few videos and here is a link to my YouTube to see one.
I did take one of this sweet Fairy Garden planted inside an old hanging basket now set on a stand!
Here you can see a little more of how each covered area is laid out. Tiered stands hold plantings and tucked here and there are statues and water fountains for sale. I found a lovely maiden for $400 which would have tucked nicely into our garden, but she or another Girl will have to wait for another time. (no photo) 🙂
The Greenhouse is shaded by many oak trees and the greenhouses are built around them, which I thought was wonderful planning on the part of the garden designers.
I love this giant metal artichoke statue!! Doesn’t it make a fun statement here in the garden?
Just a couple of last looks at a large pond and waterfall which inside one of the main greenhouses surrounded by gorgeous tropical plants…
Really a wonderfully curated garden center ~ if you ever come this way to Oklahoma City, do stop by Norman (about 30 minutes south on I-35) and visit The Greenhouse…
Hope you’ve enjoyed today’s tour!
Hugs, Barb 🙂
Sounds like such a fun day!
what a great spot. makes me want to head out to do some garden shopping! thanks for taking us along!