It’s winter outside, but the Princess of Wales Conservatory is full of colour. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, are inviting you to their annual Orchid Festival. This year, it celebrates the nature of Peru.
An Andean flamingo soars in mid-air, while alpacas and spectacled bears hide among the flowers. All the sculptures are made from natural materials. It took a month to design the exhibition, and a year to prepare for it.
There are 6,000 orchids of different varieties blooming in the conservatory. Some grow on tree trunks or branches. These flowers require special care. Five gardeners work in the conservatory. They are assisted by other Kew Gardens staff and volunteers.
Orchids are one of the largest families of flowering plants. There are about 30,000 species worldwide, and 3,000 in Peru. They grow everywhere from arid areas to the Amazon rainforest to the Andes. Experts say it’s important to preserve this diversity.
