Growing in Kew Gardens’ Temperate House
London’s Kew Gardens is home to the Temperate House, the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse. It was closed for renovations for five years, and reopened in 2018. The skilled staff at Kew have regrown its lush greenery, and it’s full of remarkable plants. During my visit there in early December, I found a couple of Cymbidiums in bloom. One was a great, colorful species, Cymbidium tracyanum, known for big flowers with dramatic spots and stripes.
The Temperate House features plants that grow in mild climates around the world. The 628 foot (191 m) long structure is divided into five sections. There’s a large central area, which includes an upper walkway with great views. This space connects to two smaller octagonal glasshouses, which in turn connect to two medium-sized rectangular structures. Many of the 10,000 plants inside are rare and endangered in their native habitats. Kew works to conserve these species, and the Temperate House is essential to battling extinction.
Now that the building has been open to the public for over a year and a half, its plantings are maturing, and reaching for the sky. Comparing my photos to Dave’s pictures from almost a year ago, it’s easy to see that the forest canopy is growing taller and denser. As a refuge for rare plants, and a showcase for Kew’s botanical wonders, the Temperate House has a bright future.
Explore posts in the same categories: Botanical Gardens, Intermediate Growers, Photos
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