Last weekend I stopped by the historic Lyman Estate Greenhouses in Waltham, Massachusetts. This is one of the oldest greenhouses in the nation, built by Boston merchant Theodore Lyman in 1793. It is a working greenhouse maintained by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities and every February and March their famous camellias, among the first ever imported to the U.S., bloom in profusion in a special wing built by Lyman in the 1820s.
Other parts of the greenhouse complex include the Grape Houses, where exotic flowers and fruits were grown for the winter table. In the background below you can see the vines of the Black Hamburg and Green Muscat of Alexandria grapes that are grown from 19th century cuttings from the royal greenhouse at Hampton Court in England.
Another room houses the extensive collection (thousands) of orchids and epiphytes....
I love the cranks and pipes and valves everywhere....
There is another wing that serves as a garden store. I'll post those pics tomorrow.
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