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About the Palm House parterre at Kew Gardens

Completed in 1848, the Palm House is one of Kew’s Grade I listed buildings designed by Decimus Burton, with the parterre originally laid out by William Andrews Nesfield. Although over the years Nesfield’s intricate pattern slowly disappeared (and indeed during the First World War, onions were grown here!), the flower beds were reinstated in the 1920s.

Since then, the bedding plants have been changed twice a year, and featured a variety of plants and designs.

Kew has a virtually complete set of plant lists, designs and in many cases even photographs of the Palm House parterre, going back over 100 years. From this summer, we will be showcasing some of the best of these historical designs.

FDN_KewFund_PalmHseParterre_1

Designing the parterre

During June, Head of Great Glasshouses & Training, Greg Redwood, and Head of Hardy Display, Kathleen Smith, will be working with their teams to plant out over 16,000 plants to make up the summer parterre.

The design is based on an original by Brian Halliwell, a previous Assistant Curator at Kew Gardens. Below is the list of plants that will be included in the Palm House parterre this summer.

Parterre plant list

• Lavatera x clementii 'Barnsley'
• Pelargonium 'Fidelity Dark Rose'
• Pelargonium x hortorum ‘Americana Pink Rose'
• Pleargonium 'Classic Lilac'
• Calocephalus brownii ‘Silver Sand’
• Senecio viravira
• Diascia barberae 'Romeo Pink'
• Melianthus major
• Verbena 'Sissinghurst'
• Senecio cineraria 'Cirrus'
• Artemisia 'Powis Castle'
• Petunia 'Surfinia Hot Pink'
• Senecio cineraria 'Silver Dust'
• Senecio viravira
• Diascia barberae 'Juliet Pink with Eye'
• Eucalyptus globulus
• Argyranthemum frutescens 'Madeira Crested Pink'
• Artemisia schmidtiana 'Nana Attraction'
• Leymus arenarius
• Begonia tuberhybrida 'Nonstop Pink'
• Begonia tuberhybrida 'Nonstop Rose'
• Begonia 'Nonstop Peach Shades'
• Helichrysum microphyllum 'Silver Mist'
• Senecio viravira
• Diascia 'Little Dancer'
• Cynara cardunculus
• Cleome hassleriana 'Odyssee Blush'
• Cineraria maritima 'Cirrus'

Large roundabout

• Eucalyptus globulus
• Cineraria maritima 'Silver Dust'
• Salvia farinacea 'Victoria'
• Senecio cineraria 'Cirrus'

Urns

• Helichrysum microphyllum 'Silver Mist'
• Diascia barberae 'Romeo Pink'
• Senecio cineraria 'Silver Dust'
• Verbena 'Sissinghurst'

Small roundabout

• Cacti planted by the Great Glasshouses and Training team

Your donation to the Kew Fund

Please make a donation to Kew Fund’s Plants, Horticulture and Gardens appeal, to help this and other horticultural work at Kew.

Kew receives funding from 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.

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