Press Release
Waterlilies are centre stage at Kew for summer
For release: 21 June 2002
Waterlilies
are among the most stunning features of gardens the world over. The large
flowers with their bold colours provide the essential ingredients for any
water garden. Waterlilies take centre stage at Kew in July as the mighty Victoria
amazonica, its vast leaves capable of supporting the weight of a child,
prepares to bloom. This year, Kew celebrates 150 years of the beautiful Waterlily
House, built to house this extraordinary plant in 1852.
Inside the Waterlily House a new display of commissioned photographs by Jo
Cound captures the dramatic beauty of waterlilies, with ethereal images that
rise out of the pond. In a special lecture on 10 July, Professor Peter Crane,
the Director of Kew, explores the fascinating history and mythology surrounding
these plants.
The most
spectacular member of the waterlily family is undoubtedly the giant Victoria
from South America. Each leaf can spread up to two metres wide across the
water's surface. The discovery of the Victoria in the mid 1800s took
Europe by storm. Kew first successfully flowered the plant in 1850 attracting
tens of thousands of visitors. The Waterlily House designed to house the plant
opened two years later.
Waterlilies have a long and fascinating history. The Egyptians referred to
these plants as lotus and gathered the seeds to make bread. The plant was
also believed to have powerful aphrodisiac properties. The Kew collection
contains seeds of the blue lotus gathered by the archaeologist Howard Carter
from the tomb of Tutankhamun. Also on display in the Waterlily House is the
true lotus - a waterlily look-alike that represents cosmic creativeness and
is an important symbol in eastern faiths.
One of the most intriguing features of the true lotus is its water and dirt-repelling
properties. The surface of the leaves causes drops of water to roll into a
sphere, picking up dirt in the process. This self- cleaning mechanism has
been named the 'Lotus Effect' and has recently been developed by a German
company to produce new kinds of dirt and water repellent products including
paint and clothing material.
Professor Peter Crane's lecture on waterlilies begins at 7.00pm in the Jodrell
Lecture Theatre at Kew. Pre-booking is essential on 020 8332 5626. Tickets
are £6.00.
Kew Gardens is just 25 minutes from Charing Cross by District line tube and
20 minutes by overland train from Waterloo. Free parking is available on Kew
Road and Kew Green after 10.00am. Kew Gardens open daily from 9.30am and close
at 6.30pm Monday to Friday and 7.30pm at weekends and Bank Holidays until
2 September, when closing is 6.00pm daily. For details about visiting Kew
phone 020 8332 5655 or check out Kew's website at www.kew.org. Entry is £6.50
for adults, £4.50 for concessions. Children of 16 and under are admitted free.
For further information and images please contact Hannah Rogers or Claire
Hyde on 020 8332 5607/5619 (media enquiries only; not for publication).
For further Press information please contact:
|
Kew: Public Relations Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5607/5619 |
Wakehurst Place: Public Relations Tel: +44 (0)1444 894018 |
