Since moving to London, I have become very interested in gardening. Perhaps it’s a yearning for nature. And my obsession with flowers has extended into our flat, where I keep orchids on several window benches.
So, when one of my favorite London Public Gardens, Kew Gardens, hosted the Kew Gardens Orchid Festival earlier this year, I simply had to go and see it for myself.
ABOUT KEW GARDENS
Kew Gardens is a 300 acres botanical garden located in the borough of Richmond, in the South West of London. It is the largest UNESCO World Heritage site in London and is home to the world’s most comprehensive and diverse collection of living plants.
Kew Gardens opened its doors in 1759. Since then it has kept growing in size and significance. About a million people visit Kew Gardens every year. Most of them come to see the famous glasshouses, as well as the historic garden and royal palace.
It probably isn’t possible to see the entire garden in one day. It’s just too big. But if you arrive early and stay the entire day, you will be able to cover a good portion of it.
Entrance to the garden currently costs about 19£.
ORCHIDS IN THAILAND
Orchids are commonly sold in grocery shops and train stations. But did you know that they are actually quite an important plant in the horticultural world. Last year alone, botanists discovered 600 new species of orchids. All those new species need to be named and described. And Kew Gardens is a leader in that field.
Three of the new orchid species that were discovered were found in Thailand. The country is home to over 1,100 species of orchids. Here they aren’t only revered for their delicate beauty, but also for their medicinal properties. When we visited Thailand we were surprised to find them growing in the trees of Lumpini Park. But this is a pretty common site in Thailand.
THE KEW GARDENS ORCHID FESTIVAL
Kew Gardens is a great place to visit at any time of the year. But the Orchid Festival just made our trip to the South West of London a little more special.
The historical garden has hosted the Orchid Festival for four weeks at the end of March for the last 22 years. It is always themed around an overseas destination. And in 2018, Kew Gardens transported us to the vibrant and colorful landscape of Thailand.
To be honest I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Would we find a couple of pots filled with orchids or was the whole garden be covered in them? Well, it turns out that the orchid festival takes place in the Princess of Wales Conservatory and the entire glasshouse is filled with various species of orchids. We were taken on a meandering route and around every corner discovered another beautiful display.
As we stepped into the Princess of Wales Conservatory, the first thing we noticed was the golden Thai rickshaw. From here we moved through an arch covered in vibrant cascading Vanda orchids. Various colourful handcrafted Thai umbrellas were suspended from the ceiling of the glasshouse. We then passed three columns of orchids and landed in front of a rice paddy. Did you know that orchids grow exactly like this in the wild? We were then introduced to a variety of Kew Garden’s rarest orchids. Of course, most of these were kept behind a glass screen to protect them from the crowd of visitors. Eventually, we discovered the grand final scene – a stunning Thai market boat bedecked in a variety of rainbow coloured orchids.
A tunnel bursting with vibrant vanda orchids will sit alongside arches with plants cascading from them, and floating Thai umbrellas will lead to an orchid palace inspired by the Bang Pa-In district. Add a traditional Thai market boat and rice paddy and you’ll think you’ve sailed right around the globe.
But orchids aren’t the only thing to be enjoyed at Kew Gardens Orchid Festival. To complement the colourful display of flowers, Kew Gardens commissioned a Thai soundscape to fill the conservatory. On the weekend the festival stepped up a gear. Visitors were able to watch Thai dancing performances or taste a variety of Thai cocktails and dishes (including edible insects).
We could happily have spent several hours wandering around the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Although eventually the humid air got to us and we needed to step outside of the conservatory.
Kew Gardens sounds jaw-dropping Katharina. We see orchids and other gorgeous flowers during many trips to Thailand. Sometimes, virtually anywhere. As you noted it is a common occurrence. Which is pretty neat 🙂
Ryan