25 March 2020
In Pictures: Rainbow of flowers
From radiant red to vivid violet, this beautiful spectrum of spring blooms will help brighten your day.
Many of us now find ourselves stuck indoors, unable to access nature as often as we may like.
So why not bring the rainbow of spring blooms from our gardens at Kew and Wakehurst into your home while you're social distancing, from red rhododendrons to violet wisteria...
Red
Throughout spring, tulips and rhododendrons are bursting with crimson colour in our gardens at Kew and Wakehurst.
Adding a striking pop of red to the landscape, these bright flowers show off their springtime display in Rhododendron Dell at Kew and our wild Sussex garden's Westwood Valley and Himalayan Glade.
Orange
The bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) growing in our Temperate House is aflame with a fiery orange hue.
Its colourful inflorescence (flowering head), as its common name suggests, resembles the crest on an exotic bird's head.
Lovers of orange blooms will also appreciate the warm vibrancy of our Natal lily (Clivia miniata) growing at Kew.
Yellow
Was there ever a better colour of flower for brightening your day?
Shades of yellow are in abundance during spring, with pretty primroses and pansies, zesty daffodils and cascading laburnum blooming across our gardens.
Associated with sunshine and happiness, these yellow blossoms really make the landscape come alive.
Green
The fourth colour of the rainbow is everywhere in nature, from sweeping meadows of luscious green grass to dense foliage in a forest of trees.
Green spaces can help soothe us, improve our mood and boost our sense of wellbeing.
Did you know? The human eye supposedly sees more shades of green than any other colour.
Here are some of the beautiful green hues from our gardens, including smooth succulents in our Davies Alpine House, Coronation Meadow and a monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) at Wakehurst.
Blue
Take a look at blue crocus (Tecophilaea cyanocrocus) and spring starflower (Ipheion uniflorum) with their delicate flowers in beautiful tones of blue.
One of the most classic examples of a blue springtime flower is revealed by its name...
Stunning carpets of bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) cover our woodland floors in late spring.
Despite the label, these UK native wildflowers with bell-shaped flowers also come in shades of purple, which leads us on to our next colour of the rainbow...
Indigo
The flowers of these ornamental alliums are a lovely deep, rich indigo.
Growing in our Great Broad Walk Borders, these decorative blooms are garden showstoppers with their large round heads and eye-catching colour.
Our herbaceous borders stretch out for more than 320 metres and are a dazzling rainbow of colour in themselves, especially during the spring and summer months.
Violet
Mirrored in its name, the native sweet violet (Viola odorata), that grows on the edges of woodland, has violet flowers.
Other purple plant heroes include dainty fairy primula (Primula malacoides) and stunning Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis).
This vigorous violet climber is a delight for the senses in spring.
Even though you may be behind closed doors at the moment, Kew and Wakehurst are still growing and bursting with life and colour.
To get your daily nature fix while you're social distancing or self-isolating, you're welcome to join our social community.
We are passionate about plants and fungi, and will be sharing pictures, stories and films with you on Kew Gardens' Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and Wakehurst's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
