Published on August 8, 2024 by Cheryl Gudz, Senior Bilingual Communications Specialist
On a hot overcast day in Winnipeg, I entered the front doors of The Leaf and quietly gasped. I had just walked into an atrium that felt like nothing I’d seen before. This must be what a gateway to plant heaven looks like.
The stunning space has ‘pillowed’ ceilings (more on this later) and a long row of misting fans. The fans are cooling things down while expelling humidity from the biomes. The Leaf features three permanent installations – the Mediterranean biome, a tropical biome and a butterfly garden – and offers a fourth transitional space to showcase gardens in seasonal stints. Full names of these biomes and installations can be found here.
Located in my hometown, The Leaf opened almost two years ago and I had been wanting to visit ever since. My visit was received with warmth and recognition of Evergreen’s own nature-based education and programs. I was matched with two leaders from education and horticulture who would give me a personal tour.
Our first stop begins in a tropical climate. I take in the sight and sound of a six-storey high cascading waterfall. It is misty and commanding. One of my guides says entering this room tends to conjure a Jurassic Park feeling for visitors and it really does.
This biome is dense and diverse in flora. Tall banana leaf trees and palms tower above. Banana and cocoa trees boast fruit and pods, and the tall stalks of bamboo line a walkway heading to the coffee bean plants.
A variety of people are featured on signage detailing their connection to a plant or food and their cultural approaches to cooking. Winnipeg’s multicultural diversity is showcased here, and many of the people have a connection to The Leaf either as a volunteer, staff member or consultant. I cross a bridge, and hover over the koi pond. The tagline “Life Grows at the Leaf” is apt.
Winnipeg’s largest park, Assiniboine Park is home to the popular Assiniboine Park Zoo, Leo Mol Sculpture Gardens, and now The Leaf. The park’s original horticultural conservatory, built over 100 years ago, succumbed to age and was demolished in 2018. The concrete on the second floor of the new building sparkles blue, thanks to recycled glass from the previous conservatory. The plan for a new build to take its place was a well-considered affair.
One of the most innovative features of the building design can be found by looking up. The roof is made up of three layers of ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) and separated by compressed air called pillows. These plastic pillows are then attached to the cable net system to form the roof. This material is extremely light and transparent so that more light can reach the plants. The use of this lightweight material allowed designers to create an uninterrupted, open space and immersive visitor experience.
Getting back to the biomes, as you move from the tropical room to the next, the refreshing and tantalizing smell of the Mediterranean biome hits hard. I smell a mixture of fragrant herbs that I would want to cook with, but also floral plants and succulents. One succulent in particular is stunning.
Gerald and Barret make sure to point out the Wollemi Pine, a highly endangered species. Also called the dinosaur tree, the Wollemi Pine was thought to be extinct for two million years until 100 or so were found in the nineties in Australia. The area where they are found was threatened during the severe wildfires of 2020, highlighting the need for conservation. A very small number of horticultural facilities around the world have the rare species in their collections. The Leaf is one of them.
Conservation and sustainability are at the heart of programming here. Receiving LEED certification requires sharing information with visitors as to how their building meets global standards in environmental health. A hallway of posters and signage off the atrium explains how sustainability and local considerations steered the design and build.
But not everything here is made to live inside. The site also features surrounding outdoor gardens, notably the Kitchen Garden and the Indigenous Peoples Gardens.
The Indigenous Peoples Gardens offers two areas for gathering purposes: the water node and the fire node. In between them are trails of natural tall grass and meadows. Bookings can be made for traditional ceremonies, sacred fires, workshops, and educational programming for a fee.
Inside and out, there is an emphasis here on visitor engagement. Outside of the guided tours, opportunities exist to respond to question prompts. There are also interactive elements to learn how people are feeling in the space – a wonderful way to practice placemaking.
My personal tour is finished, and I thank the staff who care so deeply about this place. I think about the important work nature educators and conservationists are doing everywhere, to show that we all play a role in the growing and nurturing of life.