Press Release

Think Mediterranean Year, think....

Mediterranean Year
26 May – 9 September 2007

In summer 2007, Kew will conjure up a Mediterranean feast for the senses in a celebration of the Mediterranean regions of the world, highlighting the plants, climate and foods of these areas.

…Unique flora

Mediterranean regions are home to characteristic forest, woodland and shrub vegetation. The 2007 summer festival will profile the flora in Mediterranean regions of the world, and the plants that are becoming more popular with horticulturists as our summers get hotter and drier.

At King William's Temple a half-acre planting depicting a typical Mediterranean natural habitat will comprise cork oaks, stone pines and Tuscan olive trees under-planted with Mediterranean shrubs and bulbs and landscaped with rock. This habitat will highlight the economic uses of many endemic Mediterranean plants, the diversity of life the habitat supports and the conservation efforts needed to ensure its survival.

A second feature of the area is the restoration and redesign of the ornamental beds surrounding the Temple to represent a typical Spanish or Italian garden. Plants from other Mediterranean climatic areas, such as the African Cape, Chile, or parts of Australia, will also be used, including Agapanthus and Red Hot Pokers.

In the Rock Garden, the sunny position and well-drained soil is ideal for plants from a variety of European Mediterranean habitats such as the hot and dry regions of southern Spain, the high ground of the Atlas Mountains and the rocky river gorges of Crete. Plants adapted to the drier Mediterranean climate can be found in the Gravel Garden, where you will see a variety selected for their low water requirements, and also in the Grass Garden, where many of the species on display are also drought resistant.

…Go to the beach?

Visitors can also learn how Mediterranean plants have adapted to life on the coast without even stepping out of the Gardens. You will be able to admire the spectacular view of the Pagoda and spend the day relaxing on a sandy beach located next to the Pavilion restaurant. The beach will be planted with over thirty different plant species including palms, grasses and the Californian Poppy (Eschscholzia). Sunbathing and sand castle building is optional!

…Delicious cuisine

The Mediterranean has a rich and distinctive cuisine based on the plants that grow in the region. In the Princess of Wales Conservatory an authentic section of a Spanish olive grove will be recreated. The characteristic tree crop of the Mediterranean, the olive display will feature many aspects of olive growing with associated wild and cultivated plants, and will depict traditional olive processing to produce oil. A Pizza Garden display, based on one of the Mediterranean's most famous dishes, using bedding plants and herbs in a fun and educational way to represent ingredients, will be planted. The Kew Diploma students will fill their vegetable plots with a variety of Mediterranean vegetables and Mediterranean herbs will be highlighted in the Queen's Garden.

In and around the Waterlily House there will be a creative display of chilli plants from the Mediterranean climatic regions of the world including the ‘Big Jamaican Hot', ‘Thailand Heat', and the ‘Zimbabwe Bird'. Around 100 different varieties will be on display, ranging from the coolest to the hottest. The chilli family are not just a culinary delight, but are easy to grow and make attractive garden plants, fruiting from May onwards in a huge variety of shapes and colours.

…Aromatic smells

Famously grown in Provence, lavender will provide a focal point to the festival with a walkway being planted behind the Palm House. For children, there will be an interactive exhibition on plants and smells, encouraging them to guess the origin of several plant smells and the chance to take part in a Mediterranean treasure hunt and win a pack of seeds.

…Chirping crickets

As the light fades, an al-fresco evening in the Mediterranean wouldn't be the same without the cricket chorus. During the 2007 summer festival meet some Mediterranean insects, including caterpillars, snakes and scorpions in the Climbers and Creepers interactive botanical play zone. Larger than life versions of other Mediterranean insects will be carved out of wood by a chainsaw sculptor.

… Behind-the-scenes

Join the team of Kew's Arboretum Nursery for a unique behind-the-scenes tour of the nursery and the Mediterranean Garden, throughout the festival. The Arboretum Nursery currently looks after over 200 genera in many diverse species all at different stages of growth. Find out more about how the team germinated the 69 new-to-Kew Mediterranean species, garnered during collecting trips to southern Spain, and take a tour of the 889m² glasshouse and 2975m² field plots and poly tunnels that are usually closed to the public. Tours will take place on the following dates:

Sun 27th May

Sun 10th June

Sun 8th July

Sun 12th August

Sun 9th September

Kew's Volunteer Guides will also be leading Mediterranean themed tours throughout the festival. The Mediterranean Festival will also be the subject of the Gardens' first podcast. Vanessa Collingridge goes behind the scenes of the festival to find out why Mediterranean plants and habitats are more interesting than just the backdrop to our holidays. Talking to Kew's director Steve Hopper and others central to the festival's development she finds out what the Mediterranean really means, why climate change is particularly important, and how everyone will be getting better acquainted with growing these plants in the future. The podcast will be available from www.kew.org/medsummer/podcast from 26th May.

…Souvenirs

After a trip to Kew's Mediterranean Year festival, you may wish to take a souvenir home with you that will allow you to create a slice of the Mediterranean in your own garden. Mitchell Beazley, in association with Kew Publishing, has released a new book entitled Subtropical and Dry Climate Plants available to buy for £30 from the Kew Gardens Book Shop. Written in association with Kew's world renowned experts, Subtropical and Dry Climate Plants is the definitive illustrated guide to more than 700 obtainable perennials, orchids, trees, shrubs, bulbs, climbers, cacti and succulents, bamboos and grasses, ferns and annuals, that can be grown in most regions of Europe and the USA. Each plant listed has a detailed description and notes on cultivation, size and hardiness, water needs and a particular emphasis on over wintering in cooler regions. Subtropical and Dry Climate Plants will inspire you to select the best of these extraordinary plants to give your garden that rich, colourful Mediterranean look.

…for children

Between the 21st July and 2nd September there will be a range of Mediterranean inspired free family activities in Climbers and Creepers, Kew's botanical play zone. Sessions have been designed for children aged 3 - 9yrs old and include fun and interactive activities such as Mediterranean art and craft, creative activities, games and planting.

Notes to Editors

For more detailed information on the latest events visit www.kew.org/press or contact Anna Quenby, Catherine Owen or Oliver Basciano in the Kew Gardens Press Office, telephone +44 (0)20 8332 5607, e-mail pr@kew.org.

Climbers and Creepers sessions begin at 2pm and 3pm and last 30 minutes, at 4pm children can join the Mediterranean Games Sessions. Spaces are limited to 25 children and so families must book on the day with a member of Climbers & Creepers staff. Please note that children must be accompanied by an adult, for more information about Climbers & Creepers, see the website http://www.kew.org/education/cc.html

High resolution images are downloadable from www.kew.org/press/images. Please contact the press office for username and password.

Kew Gardens opens at 9.30am daily and will close at 6.30pm weekdays, 7.30pm weekends and bank holidays throughout the Mediterranean Year festival. Adult admission £12.25; concessions £10.25; children aged 16 and under FREE. Visitor information at www.kew.org , email info@kew.org, or call 020 8332 5655 (24-hour recorded information line). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB .

Subtropical and Dry Climate Plants: 256 pages, 280 x 214mm, hard cover, ISBN 13: 978 1 84533 199 3 (ISBN 10: 1 84533 199 0), £30. Available from the Kew Gardens Book Shop or online at www.kewbooks.com.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew Gardens is a major international visitor attraction and its 132 hectares of landscaped gardens attract over one million visitors per year. Kew was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and represents over 250 years of historical landscape. The site houses over 40 listed buildings and other structures including the Palm House, Temperate House, Orangery and Pagoda as well as two ancient monuments, Queen Charlotte's Cottage and Kew Palace. RBG, 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. www.kew.org.

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