Greenhouse opens with plant sale

The new greenhouse at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum will open on March 12 with a four-day plant sale.

The featured plants for the March 12-15 sale mainly include vegetables, herbs and house plants.

The 2,640-square-foot structure was completed over the winter and an official grand opening ceremony is planned for 10:30 a.m. on March 14 during the annual Cowboy Days festival.

Two more sales (May 14-18 and Oct. 22-25) are planned this year. The fall sale will feature trees, shrubs and possibly some herbs.

Aside from the sales, the Greenhouse will be used to propagate plants, educate the public and maybe eventually grow food for homeless shelters, according to Raul Gonzales, the museum's landscape manager. The public education portion of the mission includes some outreach activities, as well as workshops and classes for people of all ages. The workshops will focus on subjects like gardening techniques, how to pick a plant, fertilizers, and the different types of plants, such as culinary, medicinal, aromatic, and teas and spices.

The Greenhouse features the most modern equipment, Gonzales said. It has a retractable shade structure, three different types of fans, as well as heaters and coolers. Eventually, the Greenhouse will be able to produce six different climates within its clear walls.