The Secret Gardeners of Queens by Lisa J. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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July 17th - Work begins on a Parks Dept capital project at the Forest Park Greenhouses on Woodhaven Boulevard, this is the first overhaul of the greenhouses since they were built in the 1920's (Photo by Manny)

CAPITAL PROJECT DETAIL

PROJECT ID: P CN135

BUDGET LINE : P D019

BORO: Queens

PROJECT TITLE: Forest Park Greenhouse

FY 2009: $200,000

SPONSOR: Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. and the Queens Delegation

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A splash of purple ageratums and orange geraniums surround crotons, Chinese fan palms and birds of paradise plants in a lush, colorful display that greets visitors to The Overlook at Forest Park.

Parkgoers may be surprised to find out all this exotic flora was grown just 2 miles away at Forest Park's own historic greenhouse.

The greenhouse, a complex of seven buildings off Woodhaven Blvd., grows more than 200,000 annuals, perennials and assorted groundcover plants every year. About 50,000 of those flowers and plants are used in Brooklyn parks while the rest are used in Queens parks and other projects around the city.

Director of Horticulture Frank Colella highlights the aging structure of the Forest Park greenhouse. First built in the 1920s, the greenhouse will soon have its first major overhaul.

"We plant what we grow and maintain what we plant," said Horticulture Director Frank Colella.

This summer, the greenhouse will get its first major overhaul since the facility was built almost 100 years ago. Several of the buildings were designed by greenhouse experts Lord and Burnham.

The renovations will allow gardeners to better control the environment inside the buildings, allowing them to grow more flowers and plants. A classroom space will be added for educational programs.

"The Forest Park Greenhouse represents more than a century of botanical knowledge and education, right in the heart of Queens," said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe.

Colella and his staff design displays ranging from the grand flowerbeds at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park during the U.S. Open to 800 "greenstreets" around the borough.

Geraniums grow in the Forest Park Greenhouse in Queens. In July the Greenhouse will be undergoing its first major renovation since the facility was built in the 1920s.

But even the smallest gardens - those surrounding the signs that direct visitors to parks and other sites - get special attention from Colella and his staff. "I really like the greeting gardens," Colella said. "They make people feel welcome."

lcolangelo@nydailynews.com