Escape Winter and Dive into a Sea of Exotic Orchids at Kew Gardens

Depressed by the thought of those long winter months looming ahead? Then put 9 February 2013 into your diary. This marks the opening of ‘Orchids at Kew’, when the Princess of Wales Conservatory is transformed into a sea of glorious flowers. It’s a celebration of the colour, drama and beauty associated with this extraordinary and diverse group of plants.

Vibrant orchids will dominate the lush, wet tropical zone of the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Stunning displays will sweep through the glasshouse, transforming it into an intense blanket of colour.

The orchids will provide a spectacular backdrop for the perfect romantic stroll on Valentine’s Day, followed by an orchid inspired Valentine’s Day meal in Kew’s Orangery restaurant, rounding off a day to remember.

Kew is home to one of the world’s oldest and most comprehensive species orchid collection. The Princess of Wales Conservatory displays a small part of the collection on rotation. These fascinating wild plants can be visited all year round, and in February will be complemented by this breathtaking display of hybrid orchids.

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Notes to Editors

For more information on the festival, or any of Kew’s work, please contact the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Press Office on 020 8332 5607 or email pr@kew.org

Images are available to download from http://www.kew.org/press/images/index_kew.html Please contact the press office for the username and password.

More about orchids - http://www.kew.org/plants-fungi/for-gardeners/orchids/
More about the Princess of Wales Conservatory - http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/garden-attractions-A-Z/Princess-of-Wales-Conservatory.htm

• Opening hours during the festival: 9.30am – 5.30pm. Weekends and bank holidays close an hour later.
• Last entry to the Gardens, the glasshouses, galleries and the Xstrata Treetop Walkway is 30 minutes before closing.
• Admission: Adults £16.00*, concessions £14.00* (*includes £1.50 voluntary Gift Aid donation) and free for children under 17 (with an adult)
• Visitor information: 020 8332 5655 or see our visit kew.org

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding living collection of plants and world-class Herbarium as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. Kew Gardens is a major international visitor attraction. Its landscaped 132 hectares and RBG Kew’s country estate, Wakehurst Place, attract nearly 2 million visitors every year. Kew was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2009. Wakehurst Place is home to Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world. RBG Kew and its partners have collected and conserved seed from 10% of the world's wild flowering plant species (c.30, 000 species). The aim is to conserve 25% by 2020, and its enormous potential for future conservation can only be fulfilled with the support of the public and other funders.

Kew receives funding from the UK Government through Defra for approximately half of its income and is also reliant on support from other sources. Without the voluntary monies raised through membership, donations and grants, Kew would have to significantly scale back activities at a time when, as environmental challenges become ever more acute, its resources and expertise are needed in the world more than ever. Kew needs to raise significant funds both in the UK and overseas.