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Spring is a lovely time in the glasshouse. As in any other area of the garden the plants display a new vitality as they come into their new growing season and it is a good time for flowering plants. In the arid temperate section many cacti are exhibiting their showy blooms. I love the way their spiky...
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Hi. We're Katie and Paul and we would like to ask if you're a "fan" of pelargoniums. We work in the Propagation Department at Wisley (Katie is a trainee, Paul is a long-standing member of staff having once been a trainee but now has many years experience - you can see us in Figure 4...
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It’s been a hive of activity down in the Glasshouse and now the 'fantasy island of orchids' is open and will run until Sunday 21 April. Pic 1: Looking bare, before the orchids arrive Pic 2: The dead trees coming to life Pic 3: Building the volcano This year the display features, would you believe...
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After working with the butterflies for three years I have definitely decided that butterflies have personalities and noticed that certain species exhibit certain characteristics. Some show off and are very visible flying around and landing on people as they walk around whereas others seem to disappear...
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At last warmer, brighter weather arrived, albeit temporary. The butterflies certainly enjoyed it and were very active for a few days. When the snowy weather was with us I ordered some extra pupae to bulk up numbers to make sure the butterflies were visible in the Tropical Zone. Stratford Butterfly Farm...
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We had our first Malay Lacewing (pictured below) emerge this week, with its beautiful fluted wing edge, and many others followed along with plenty of Tree Nymphs (the balck and white butterfly pictured lower down the page), Blue Morphos and Giant Orange Tips. The snowy weather has been a challenge as...
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The first weekend of the event went really well with many of the pupae we stuck last week emerging. They have continued to hatch out all week and we have been regularly releasing them into the Tropical Zone of the Glasshouse. I had about 50 newly emerged butterflies to release this morning alone. Each...
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Hi. I'm Cara Smith, a horticulturist in the Glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley. At this time of year I'm also responsible for care of the butterflies during the Butterflies in the Glasshouse event. January – It is Butterfly time again! My job as a horticulturist, growing and caring for the plants...
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Known as Sleeping beauty here at Wisley, our Tabebuia impetiginosa , ‘Pink Trumpet Tree’ or Pau d’Arco has produced an amazing canopy of flower this year, far more than in previous years. This has been achieved by simulating its Central/South American natural habitat and allowing our potted specimen...
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What an amazing amount of colour. This year's chrysanthemum display in the Glasshouse at Wisley is our best yet. (Click on the images to view larger versions). Paul Atkinson has been propagating these magnificent flowers for months. He started on the cascade chrysanthemums in February - they need...
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The answer is about 100. That is, 100 or so on display in the Glasshouse at Wisley at the moment. Pink ones, green ones, cream ones, purple ones, yellow ones, deep red ones (some are nearly black) and mixed up ones. Some have leaves that are almost round, while others are toothed and jaggedy. Some are...
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Have you had a look inside the Glasshouse at Wisley recently? It's always full of amazing plants, and is currently featuring a stunning display of fuchsias. Also looking particularly fab is one of our seed-raised banana plants Ensete glaucum which is flowering on the temperate terrace (on the path...
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Camellias are one of the perfect garden plants in many people's opinion. They flower at Wisley from November (e.g. C . sasanqua hybrids) through to May, offering colour and in some cases fragrance too. And even when not showing off their flambouyant blooms, their evergreen leaves provide a glossy...
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November is a quiet yet wonderful month at Wisley. Frosty, sunny weather makes the grasses, berries and seed heads sparkle. And the trees start to take on their statuesque silhoutted form of winter. There is still a fair amount of autumn colour about though, and a number of flowers, including camellias...
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If you've visited the Glasshouse at Wisley in the last 3 years, you may know that we have an area called the Glasshouse Gallery. We've used it for photo exhibitions, lectures and learning during Science Week, somewhere to learn about butterflies when we have tropical species in winter (which...
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