Garden Links

Escape the Winter Blues Head For London's Kew

17th December, 2008
London event - Kew Gardens Kicks off 250th year with tropical event in mid winter!

Brighten the cold, dark days of February by visiting Kew Gardens' Tropical Extravaganza, a hot-weather oasis of vibrant orchids and dramatic jungle plants.

Tropical Extravaganza is the first festival in a year of events celebrating the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew's (RBG Kew) 250th anniversary and its pivotal role as a world-leader in plant diversity and conservation, both now and for the next 250 years.

The Princess of Wales Conservatory will be brimming with exotic plants such as orchids, bromeliads, nepenthes and anthuriums. Brightly coloured swathes of orchids will weave through the Conservatory like ribbons around a gift, with the columns in the Conservatory covered with hundreds of orchid plants. Staff will be on hand to answer questions and give an insight into how Kew is helping to conserve orchids in the wild.

Kew is thought to be home to one of the world's oldest and most comprehensive collection of living orchids. This includes year round displays in two specialised orchid zones in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Two different climatic zones provide the growing conditions that different types of orchids require. A hot, steamy zone features tropical epiphytic varieties with showy flowers and specific adaptations to aerial living in the rainforest canopy. Two plants of particular interest are the climbing vanilla orchid (Vanilla planifolia) from Central America, the only orchid used for industrial purposes in the food and cosmetic industries, and the comet orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale) from Madagascar, which Darwin used to predict a theory of evolution confirmed years later by the discovery of its unusual pollinator, a moth with a giant proboscis. The cooler orchid zone suits species from tropical mountainous regions.

February 2009 is also the 200th anniversary of Britain's great scientist, Charles Darwin, who studied orchids as an example of evolution. RBG Kew's Herbarium is home to specimens collected by Darwin during his voyage on HMS Beagle and Joseph Dalton Hooker, RBG Kew's Director from 1865 to 1885, provided Darwin with the critical feedback he needed in his writings about natural selection. RBG Kew's collections are vital to plant conservation and its scientific research makes a real impact on people around the world.

Take a special souvenir of your tropical visit away with you…

Some of the plants on display as part of the festival will be available to buy in the Kew shop from 7 February. This includes a unique, new orchid grown to celebrate Kew 's 250th anniversary. The 250th orchid – a Phalaenopsis called Fancy Fresco – has a rose pink centre surrounded by beautifully uplifting lime green petals, a perfect gift for Valentines Day priced at £24.99. RBG Kew has exclusive selling rights to Fancy Fresco for the duration of the Tropical Extravaganza, after which the plant will be on sale in selected garden centres. A donation of 50p from future sales will help fund Kew's vital conservation work across the globe. Orchid specialists will be on hand in the Victoria Plaza shop on weekends for the duration of the festival to advise which orchids to buy and how to look after them.

Celebrate a romantic Valentines night in a unique setting…

On 6 February 2009 there will be an orchid evening in the Princess of Wales Conservatory; a chance to enjoy a champagne & canapé reception and be one of the first to see our beautiful Tropical Extravaganza displays. This will be complimented with a tour of the conservatory by Kew's specialist horticultural staff. On the 13 February 2009 the orchid evening will include a champagne reception and delicious three-course dinner in the Orangery, Kew's elegant Grade one listed building. Say it with flowers on Valentines Day at Kew and treat your loved one to a champagne and canapé reception in the Princess of Wales Conservatory followed by a luxurious four course dinner in the Orangery. To book tickets, visit www.seetickets.com from 3 November.

Behind the scenes in the Orchid Nurseries…

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 February to 5 March, there will be tours of Kew's orchid nurseries in the Tropical Nursery, which are usually closed to the public. At 6,500 square metres the Tropical Nursery is even larger than the Temperate House and home to thousands of plants from 21 different climatic zones. In here, thousands of plants are raised for research and display out in the glass houses. You'll find out about the skills of Kew's orchid growers and the techniques they use to care for the collection of living orchids. The tours are also an opportunity to ask about caring for tropical plants at home.

Tours start in front of the White Peaks shop at 1pm, 1.30pm, 2pm and 2.30pm. The first 3 tours will be followed by Q & A sessions with a member of the horticultural staff and cost £5 a person; the 2.30 tour will be followed by an orchid potting demonstration and cost £15 per person. Tours must be booked in advance by calling 020 8332 5604 or emailing tours@kew.org. Tours are limited to10 places, issued on a first-come, first-served basis.

Get closer to orchids...

See pressed specimens and jars of preserved orchid flowers suspended in alcohol from the Herbarium collection with Kew's Volunteer Guides. Find out how Kew's orchid experts use these specimens to identify orchids, determine their rarity and catalogue orchid species from across the world. Investigate tiny orchid seedlings from Kew's Micropropagation Unit, where microscopic orchid seeds are nurtured on nutrient-rich gels. The growers' skills ensure reliable germination and increase the number of rare orchids, for exchange with other orchid growers or possible reintroduction to their natural habitats.

Hands-on sessions are free and take place 2pm – 4pm Wednesdays and Sundays throughout the festival in the Secluded Garden Glasshouse.

Learn to grow orchids at home…

‘Orchids for beginners' is a popular course designed to give you the knowledge and confidence to grow orchids successfully at home. Get an introduction to the world of orchids, advice on the best kinds to grow and how to keep them looking their best.

Thursday 19 February, 10.30am – 3.30pm Course Fee: £50 (£45 Concessions, Friends of Kew) with a maximum capacity 50 places. For booking information Tel: (020) 8332 5000/ 5626 Email: adulted@kew.org.

Michael Boulter is also giving a lecture titled ‘Darwin's garden' to support the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin in February. Five years after his trip around the world on HMS Beagle, Darwin moved out of London to Down House in Kent with his growing family. This illustrated lecture, based on the recently published book of the same name, will show how Darwin 's garden was his laboratory and how his experiments over 150 years ago, continue to contribute to the work of others today. Michael was previously Professor of Palaeobiology at the University of East London and head of a team analysing Fossil Record 2, the largest database of information on extinct animals and plants. He currently works at the Natural History Museum.

Tuesday 24 February, 7pm , admission £5. For booking information Tel: (020) 8332 5000/ 5626 Email: adulted@kew.org