Britain’s famous Kew Gardens has reopened the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse, after completing the largest restoration project in its entire history.
The UK’s famous Kew Gardens has reopened its Temperate House
The UK’s famous Kew Gardens has reopened its Temperate House, the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse, after completing the largest restoration project in its entire history, costing GBP 41 million.
Reopening the doors of the vast glasshouse revealed 10,000 breath-taking plants, making the magnificent structure a true jewel in Kew’s crown, described as an architectural wonder and a haven for horticulturists.
The Victorian glasshouse, first opened in 1863, will be home to some of the world’s rarest and most threatened plants.
The Temperate House tells the stories of the plants that Kew has rescued, and the journeys they have taken to reach the sanctuary of their new home.
Famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough spoke of his delight with the restoration, saying: “It is a breathtakingly beautiful space. These plants are wonderful and here they are safe from peril.”
“Kew does all sorts of things that nowhere else does. If you want to identify something, this is the ultimate authority worldwide,” Attenborough added. “It’s the most important botanical institute in the world. Kew occupies a very special place in the science of botany.”
Entering the glasshouse, visitors embark on a round-the-world adventure. They might find themselves in South Africa, where they will see the cycad Encephalartos woodii, the famous “loneliest tree in the world”. Its Jurassic appearance helped it withstand the nibbles of prehistoric predators, but now only male specimens exist and the ...
