Press Release

Wine, Deserts and Perennials: Adult Education at Kew Gardens

Autumn/Winter 2006/07

The forthcoming Autumn/Winter adult educational offering from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is diverse and exciting, covering topics from horticulture to history, culminating in the first lecture to be given at Kew by the newly appointed director, Professor Stephen Hopper…

Courses

The exotic orchid flower makes a beautiful adornment to any home, but how do you get a plant to flower again and again? Taking place on Thursday 22 February, Orchids for beginners is a one day course that aims to give you the knowledge and confidence to be able to grow orchids successfully in your own home. You can build on this knowledge by attending Growing orchids from seed where you will learn how to pollinate your orchid blooms and save the seed, followed by the basic techniques of orchid seed sowing using equipment found in the average kitchen. Both of these courses will take place in February 2007 to coincide with Kew 's Tropical Extravaganza festival, where orchids will be joined by other tropical rainforest flowers in a colourful display in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Orchid courses £45 each.

Spend a day behind the scenes in Kew's Herbarium to find out about all the workings of this very special scientific area at Kew . Founded in 1853, Kew 's Herbarium is a fascinating and important collection of more than 7 million dried and preserved specimens that stand reference for the identity of plants and fungi by scientists from across the world. Thursday 14 December. Course fee: £40.

Events

On Thursday 7 December, between 6.30pm and 8.30pm, attend our evening wine tasting event and hear wine connoisseur and writer Will Stockland talk you through a tasting of 10 different examples to include champagne, a selection of red and white wines, port and a dessert wine. The evening will be held in the Education Centre, Museum No.1 from where you will enjoy an amazing view of the spectacular Christmas lights and illuminated trees surrounding the Palm House Pond. All tickets £20.

Lectures

History of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Thursday 21 September, 7pm

To celebrate the end of the Heritage Festival at Kew, come along to this illustrated lecture on how the Gardens first began and how they have developed over the years into the beautiful estate we know and love. The lecture will be given by Laura Ponsonby, the biographer of Marianne North and an expert in Kew's history.

The Art of Pruning Perennials, Thursday 9 November, 7pm

This talk will focus on the exciting and innovative information about the proper pruning of perennials for season long interest. Would you like your perennials to flower longer? Would it be helpful to delay their flowering until you get home from holiday, or time the flowering to coincide with an important garden party or tour? Do you want to know cutting edge information about layering a planting, improving the habit, controlling pests or prolonging the life of perennials through proper pruning? Then join us for this dynamic presentation by the leading authority on the subject from the United States. This lecture will be given by Tracy Disabato-Aust who has earned international acclaim as one of America 's most entertaining and knowledgeable garden writers and professional speakers.

Director's Lecture, Desert Dreaming: An Australian Perspective on Deserts through Time, Tuesday 30 January, 7pm

Kew's new Director, Professor Hopper, has investigated the deserts of Australia since 1980, especially Western Australia's Little Sandy Desert. Recently, in collaboration with distinguished wildflower artist Philippa Nikulinsky, Professor Hopper has published 'Soul of the Desert', which won the Western Australian Premier's Award for best non-fiction book produced in 2005.

From geological origins, evolution of desert plants and animals, Aboriginal occupation and more recent settler impacts, the Australian deserts reveal a dreamlike soul. There are many special biological attributes: a preponderance of woody plant life and the unique spinifex hummock grasslands, the richest reptile fauna on earth, termites as the dominant plant consumers, pockets of fertility in a sea of infertility, and two contrasting hydrological regimes that drive the tempo and mode of desert life on this ancient weathered continent. Great mysteries and scientific debates will be highlighted. What caused the extinction of the desert megafauna? Why are there so many reptiles? What drives the abundance of woody plants and colourful annuals? How have Aboriginal people survived so well for so long in such seemingly harsh country? What of future conservation?

The talk will be amply illustrated with photos, most of which were taken by Professor Hopper himself.

All lecture tickets £5.

For further information please contact Lauren Bird, Oliver Basciano or Anna Quenby in the Kew Gardens press office on 020 8332 5607 or email pr@kew.org.

Notes to Editors

For course information/enquiries please contact the Adult Education Co-ordinator on 020 8332 5626 or email adulted@kew.org.

Why not give a place on one of our courses or lectures as a gift? We are more than happy to arrange for a special card to be sent, whatever the occasion. Please contact the Adult Education Department for more details.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Awarded World Heritage Site status in 2003, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is one of the most beautiful and historic gardens in the country. Its 300 acres contain a wealth of living plant material as well as comprehensive collections of preserved plant specimens, ethno-botanical products and artefacts, botanical paintings and books. It is situated 10 miles from the centre of London and is served by mainline trains from Waterloo or by underground (District Line).

The majority of the Kew courses are held in the Education Centre based in Museum No. 1. This grade II listed building, opened to the public after refurbishment in 1998, is superbly equipped for our varying courses and overlooks the magnificent Palm House.

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