Feb 13

Feb 13 Kew Gardens Orchid Festival - a spectacular celebration of Indonesia

Kew Gardens is a magical place to visit any time of year (see why I love it so much in this blog post), but their dazzling 2020 Orchid Festival is all the more reason to go between now and March 8th.

The Kew Gardens Orchid Festival is a feast for the eyes

The festival celebrates not just the 4,000 species of orchids that grow across the seventeen and a half thousand islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago, but also the wildlife and culture of this beautiful part of the world. (Just to be clear - there aren’t 4,000 different sorts of orchid on show, but there are well over 4,000 extraordinary blooms in the gloriously colourful, dramatic displays)

Colourful orchids are complemented by equally colourful traditional Indonesian items

The different zones of the Princess of Wales Conservatory have been transformed into an immersive Indonesian experience, complete with not just astonishing displays of orchids and many of the other vast array of plants that grow across the islands (40% of which can only be found there),

The orchids are displayed amongst other indigenous plants

but also traditional music and objects, life-size models of animals indigenous to the region including orangutans, a crouching tiger and a rhino, and a spectacular erupting volcano, spewing plumes of glorious red and white orchids towards the vaulted glass ceiling.

A spectacular ‘volcano’ dominates the central glasshouse

And then, of course, there are the orchids. Massed ranks of colour-themed blooms scramble up walls, smother columns and fill wide circular containers dotted amongst the greenery. Water tumbles down fern-strewn rocks into pools dotted with ‘islands’ of orchid and fauna displays, and archways dense with greenery and striking orchid varieties span the walkways. Everywhere you look is an absolute feast for the eyes.

Orchids of every kind are displayed in all kinds of imaginative ways

My own gardening knowledge is pretty much limited to identifying the difference between plants and weeds and making sure I pull up the latter and not the former. So I’m always in idiots-awe at the astonishing diversity of mother nature’s plant production skills.

This is Kew’s 25th annual orchid festival and the second one I’ve been to, and I simply can’t believe there are so many different varieties,

so many colours

so many colour combinations

so many designs (I’m fairly certain that’s not the right horticultural term, but see previous para)

and sizes (some of them are teeny) of this remarkable, and, for the most part, remarkably beautiful flower. I mean, there are a few that are, frankly, rather ugly, but every family needs their black sheep.

More than plants

During the festival there’s also a programme of evening events which include live traditional Indonesian music and dance, talks and even a cookery demonstration. And during the half term week, Feb 15th - 23rd, there are special day time performances and events for younger visitors.

Entry to the festival is included in the general entry ticket price but you do have to book a timed slot to see it. Everything you need to know about ticket bookings and all the extra activities is on the excellent Kew Gardens website

If there’s any chance you can get to Kew before March 8th, do it!