Contact:
Debbie Petruzzelli (619) 231-9193
debbie@balboapark.org
www.balboapark.org
Easter Lilies Bloom in
Balboa Park’s Historic Botanical Building
Balboa Park, San DiegoFrom Friday, April 10, through Wednesday, May 6, Balboa Park’s Botanical Building will be filled with 300 fragrant Easter lilies.
Historically, white lilies are depicted on Minoan frescoes dating back more than 3,500 years, and ancient Romans planted the lily along roadsides for medicinal use by traveling legions of solider needing treatment for wounds and sores. The 1st-century Christian church adopted the lily as a traditional, time-honored flower of Easter.
Built for the 1915–16 Exposition, along with the adjacent Lily Pond, the historic Botanical Building is one of the largest lath structures in the world. Designed by Carleton M. Winslow, the Botanical Building is 250-feet long, 75-feet wide and over 60-feet tall and filled with an ever-changing landscape of beautiful and interesting plants.
In addition to this popular and fragrant seasonal display, the Botanical Building contains over 2,100 permanent tropical plants, a carnivorous plant bog, and a ‘touch and smell’ garden. The Botanical Building is open free to the public Friday through Wednesday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (closed Thursdays and City of San Diego observed holidays).
Generous funding from the Ida Louise McCalvin Botanical Gardens Easter Fund at The San Diego Foundation and support from the staff at the City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department makes the Easter lily display possible.
Photos Available at
http://www.balboapark.org/press/details.php?ContentID=66
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Balboa Park is a San Diego must-see, just minutes from downtown, and ranked as one of the Best Parks in the World. The Park is home to 15 major museums, several performing arts venues, lovely gardens and many other cultural and recreational attractions–including the San Diego Zoo. With a host of cultural institutions laid out among its 1,200 beautiful and lushly planted acres, Balboa Park is the nation’s largest urban cultural park.
Balboa Park Marketing is a program of the House of Hospitality, a non-profit organization promoting the cultural and recreational use of Balboa Park.
