Baltimore's Iconic Enchanted Forest Blooms Again At Spring Flower Show

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Spring is here, finally and it's a great time to stop and smell the flowers at the Rawlings Conservatory.

Ron Matz reports this year's Spring Flower Show will take you back to a beloved Baltimore icon.

Walk over the Rainbow Bridge and into a new season. Tulips, hyacinth and much more are now in bloom at the Spring Flower Show at the Rawlings Conservatory.

"Obviously, people are thrilled that it's spring. You get to come into the park and into this fabulous building with bulbs and flowers. It's definitely spring here at the conservatory," said Pat Yevics, conservatory volunteer.

This year's theme is The Enchanted Forest, a Baltimore icon that stood on Route 40 in Ellicott City for years. There's the castle, nursery rhymes and even Willie the Whale.

"For many people in Baltimore there's at least one or two iconic images in their mind. We have the castles, Willie the Whale and our Rainbow Bridge, which was a very popular attraction when the Enchanted Forest was in its heyday," said Kate Blom, conservatory supervisor.

Horticulturist Sandy Reagan built Willie the Whale.

"I just took some insulation boards and copied from an original picture of the whale, and we just painted it and made it beautiful," Reagan said. "You know how Baltimoreans are. We love all our iconic things that have been going on for years, so this year we're re-visiting the Enchanted Forest."

It's a special time for the conservatory, celebrating its 125th anniversary.

"We are celebrating in so many ways," Blom said. "We had our kick off in January and it just propelled us to a great new year."

And it's a great time for conservatory volunteers like Pat Yevics.

"We encourage people to come and come more than once. Tell all your friends. I think people will be thrilled," Yevics said. "That's how I got involved with volunteering. I came to a mum show about three years ago. I signed up to volunteer that day, and I've been volunteering ever since."

The Spring Flower Show is one of the conservatory's biggest of the year, attracting thousands of people.

"We have spring here with lots of color, lots of warmth and lots of light. It's just the shot in the arm people need," Blom said.

"The show runs through April 7. Please come in and see some beautiful flowers. It's really well worth it," Reagan said.

For more information about the Spring Flower Show, click here.