Monday 8 December 2008

KEW, GLORIOUS KEW















(Billbergia vittata, Brazil)



If you are one of the regular devotees of Baklava you will know that I am one of Kew Gardens' massive team of volunteers, providing everything from weeding to (in my case) free guided tours to the general public. 

Every so often, we guides have to update what we know, so that we are right "on message"*. So today I spent the morning with a load of my colleagues in the Princess of Wales Conservatory, swotting up on bromeliads, orchids and carnivorous plants for the upcoming Tropical Extravaganza. 
















(Neoregelia seideliana)


My findings: Everything just looks so lovely. And huge. And crazy. And colourful...

And lots of other bloggers have been saying how there's no colour in the garden at the moment... 
So.... 
Well... 
make your way to Kew Gardens ladies and gentlemen... 
you will not be disappointed...
















(Another Bromeliad whose name I forgot to ask)


















(Sarracenias: increasing popular with flower arrangers, and thus threatened in the wild)
















(Masdevallia the weirdest looking orchid, showing off its three fused sepals)
















(Arid landscape bromeliads, top walk, POW)


*Speak to the marketing department about this, not me. 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love a glasshouse visit where I can walk around saying...Oh look at that doesn't it look odd/unreal!
I'm strangely satisfied if I can recognise even one plant.

HappyMouffetard said...

The Masdevallia is stunning. The Bromeliads don't come complete with tiny frogs, do they?

emmat said...

I think that is the perfect definition... satisfaction from recognising one thing. Or alternatively I like it if i can recognise the genus, or family. "Araceae" i love saying, when i see the spathe and spadix...

But HM, you are so clever about your bromeliads... Lara who looks after them was telling us about one species with a frog that never even climbs out the bromeliad... it lives there permanently! Did you already know that though?!

Anonymous said...

Ab. Fab.
K

VP said...

I can't believe that a plant is becoming endangered just to satisfy the temporary whims of flower arranging. That's mad!

HappyMouffetard said...

Emma, a childhood spent obsessively watching 'Life on Earth' has taught me many things. Not many of them useful in general conversation.