Kew Gardens: A visit to the refurbished Temperate House, 17 October 2019

In what would turn out to be the last overseas trip before the COVID-19 pandemic brought two years of lockdowns and travel bans, MoMI visited Kew Gardens in London, UK specifically to see the refurbished and re-opened Temperate House, the largest Victorian glasshouse in the world.  This 4,880-square metre (52,527-square foot) structure was originally opened in May 1863 but not completed until 1899.  A massive, five-year restoration project costing £41 million commenced in 2013 with the closure of the Temperate House so that workers could dig up and remove 10,000 plants inside in preparation for the replacement of 69,000 items of decayed and broken metal, stone, and timber, and the installation of 15,000 new panes of glass.  It was the most complex restoration project in Kew Gardens' history and restored this Grade I-listed building to its original Victorian splendour.  Visitors to Kew Gardens were able to enter the restored Temperate House for the first time on Saturday, 5 May 2018.

To see MoMI's previous visit to Kew Gardens, in October 2017, click here. 

Photos from 17 October 2019       

Below: The pamphlet on the special exhibition of glass sculptures by American sculptor Dale Chihuly on display at Kew Gardens between 13 April and 27 October 2019.  Several works were installed amongst the lush foliage in the Temperate House.

Below: The front and reverse sides of the Kew Gardens guide/map provided to paying visitors.

The Elizabeth Gate, one of the four entrances to Kew Gardens, located at the north end of the gardens and on the western side of Kew Green. 

A closeup view of the gilded Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom on the wrought iron gates of the Elizabeth Gate. 

A view north along the Broad Walk, one of the principal pedestrian promenades in the gardens.  Originally laid out in 1845, the Broad Walk is lined by eight circular beds filled with seasonal plantings of flowers and grasses, as well as shrubs and trees.  Although a riot of colour in the spring and summer, the autumn plantings seen in October are more muted.

At 320 metres (1,050 feet) long, the Great Broad Walk Borders are believed to be the longest herbaceous borders in the UK, and possibly the world.  The Broad Walk, designed by architect and landscaper Decimus Burton as a 'grand processional way', terminates at the lake in front of Kew's iconic Palm House, also designed by Burton.       

A massive tree towers over the manicured lawns of Kew Gardens, one of hundreds of such old trees planted in the gardens' 132 acres since its opening in 1759.    

The Orangery, designed by Sir William Chambers, and completed in 1761.  Although intended as a home for Kew's citrus trees, the interior was was found to be too dark for this purpose and the citrus trees were moved out in 1841.  The 28 x 10 metre (92 x 33 foot) Orangery now serves as a restaurant and, during the evenings, as an event venue for hire.

Kew Gardens' most famous structure, the Palm House, fronted by parterres, sculptures, and benches.  The Palm House was built between 1844 and 1848 and has 16,000 panes of toughened glass.  Maintained at a minimum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius (64.4 degrees Fahrenheit) and a relative humidity of 75%, the palms and other tropical plants collected from around the world thrive inside.       

The colourful Dale Chihuly glass sculpture 'Summer Sun' sits next to the lake outside the Palm House.  A 19th century building at the opposite side of the lake now houses the Botanical Brasserie.

Looking west at the principal entrance to the enormous and fully refurbished Temperate House.  Commissioned in 1859 by Kew's then-Director, Sir William Jackson Hooker, the Temperate House was designed by famous Victorian-era architect and landscaper Decimus Burton in 1860.  Opened in 1863 when three-quarters complete, it took another 36 years to finish, being fully completed only in 1899.  The soaring cost of construction over that time period led to the use of inferior building materials and lower quality workmanship to find savings, decisions which eventually led to a leaky roof, corrosion of the iron elements, rotting wood, and cracking stone and mortar.  Additionally, the 127 bombs dropped on Kew Gardens by German bombers during the Second World War also caused structural damage to the Temperate House.  However, after the most significant restoration project in its history, spanning five years between 2013 and 2018, the Temperate House is now once again open to visitors.

Built in the Renaissance Revival style, the Temperate House originally comprised the main central building and two octagonal galleries on either end, which opened to the public in 1863.  The rectangular additions at the north and south ends, connected to the octagonal galleries, were completed in 1899.  The Temperate House measures 191 metres (628 feet) in length and covers an area of 4,880 square metres (52,527 square feet), making it twice as large as Kew's Palm House and the world's largest surviving Victorian glasshouse.  At its highest point, it stands 19 metres (62 feet) tall and contains 15,000 panes of glass.  Four large, ornate terracotta urns standing at the corners of the main building originally hid chimneys used to vent steam from the Temperate House's old heating system.  

Approaching the entrance to the Temperate House one sees the intricate stonework and statuary adorning the exterior.

Stepping inside the building reveals a lush world of thousands of exotic temperate plants collected from around the globe by Kew's horticulturalists.  As visitors wander through the building, Kew's gardeners work quietly to maintain the plants.  Today, there are about 10,000 individual plants from around 1,500 species on display in the Temperate House.  Many are rare and currently threatened in the wild, with some being close to extinction.  Six species in the Temperate House are classified as 'Extinct in the Wild' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, existing today only in botanical gardens and private collections.  

This section of the Temperate House's main building contains a collection of plants from New Zealand.  As temperate plants, all of the species housed in the building require temperatures above 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) to survive.  On cold winter days, the building's windows are shut and boilers and radiators are used to maintain optimal temperatures.  Conversely, in the summer, the windows are opened to ensure that temperatures do not get too high and vents in the glass roof controlled by temperature sensors activate when the interior temperature reaches 12 degrees Celsius.  

A closeup view of a flower on a Callianthe picta, also known as red vein Indian mallow, a member of the mallow family, comprising 4,225 species. The Callianthe picta is native to southern Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay and its flowers are edible, with a sweet flavour increasing the longer the flower is in bloom.

A display on the Oreopanax species of shrubs and trees native to the cloud forests of Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, which are located between 1,600 and 2,200 metres (5,250 and 7,218 feet) above sea level.

Colourful Dahlia coccinea, a species of flowering plant in the daisy family and native to Mexico.  Also known as the red dahlia, the tubers of the Dahlia coccinea are highly nutritious and were eaten by the Aztec people prior to the Spanish conquest.

A Victorian spiral staircase leads up to the raised viewing gallery running around the perimeter of the Temperate House's main building.   

A European robin (Erithacus rubecula) sits atop a tree branch inside the Temperate House.

Looking down the central axis inside the Temperate House's main building.  The pillars support the wrought iron ribs that form the structure of the building.  Architect Decimus Burton and engineer Richard Turner used a mix of decorative elements on the interior and exterior of the building, including finials, pediments, acanthus leaf capitals, and statues and urns crafted from Coade stone.

The organic forms of a Chihuly glass sculpture complement the planting beds inside the Temperate House. 

A Jacaranda mimosifolia, also known as a fern tree, is not actually a fern but rather a massive flowering tree that is native to Argentina and Bolivia.  Often grown as a street tree due to its ability to tolerate warm urban conditions, the Jacaranda mimosifolia is known for its long-lasting purple flowers and the dappled shade provided by its feathery leaves.  While wild populations are threatened in Argentina and Bolivia due to land clearance for farms, the Jacaranda mimosofolia is considered invasive in parts of Australia and South Africa, where it has been introduced.  A versatile tree, the Jacaranda mimosifolia's wood is carved into bowls and furniture, while its seed pods are used as ornaments, and water taken from the tree is used as medicine to treat infections. 

The blown glass Chihuly sculpture 'Fiori Verdi' (2018) sits amongst plants arranged around a small pond and rock waterfall in the background.  

Colourful flowers line one of the beds fronting onto the central, diamond-shaped square in the centre of the Temperate House.  Behind the flowers on the right is an Umbrella palm (Hedyscepe canterburyana) and on the left is an Australian tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica).

A large, graceful fan palm and other plants in one of the beds devoted to species from the Americas.

A panoramic shot of the central plaza in the Temperate House's main building.  The beds on the four sides of the plaza are devoted to plants from Australia, New Zealand, and the Americas.

A bed of plants from New Zealand along the perimeter of the Temperate House.  New Zealand's long, narrow geography and varied terrain have given it an incredible diversity of plant life, with scientists estimating 2,200 native vascular plants, such as trees, grasses, shrubs, and herbs, 80% of which are endemic and therefore do not naturally grow anywhere else in the world. 

The path divides a bed devoted to Australian plants (left) from a bed featuring plants from the Americas (right).  The plants in the Australian beds originate from the temperate zones in the country's eastern region (predominately Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales) and the far south of Western Australia.  

Looking along one of the Australian beds, this one featuring plants from the Cool Temperate Rainforest regions of Australia.  Many plants in Australia are adapted to soils that are poor in nutrients but rich in minerals.  Australia's National Herbarium estimates there are 23,845 plant species found in the country, with around 86% of them endemic and thus not growing naturally anywhere else in the world.

The delicate fronds of a tree fern tower over a variety of lush plants.

Along the north perimeter of the Temperate House's main building are beds containing plants from the Himalayas.  The Himalayan region is a biodiversity hotspot, home to an estimated 10,000 plant species.  The Himalayan temperate zone sits between alpine meadows above and warm tropical forests below.

A purple-flowered creeping vine climbs up wires paralleling one of the Temperate House's support pillars.  This allows such vines to grow skyward without growing directly on the pillars, which could cause damage to the structure of the Temperate House over time.

Visitors who climb the spiral staircases to the raised viewing gallery running around the perimeter of the Temperate House's main building are treated to spectacular views of the diversity of plants on display.  The oldest species in the Temperate House is a Ceratozamia mexicana, which grows in the Americas beds.  This plant first arrived at Kew in 1880 and has grown here ever since.  Other longtime species resident in the Temperate House include the Chamaedorea pochutlensis, a palm from Mexico, which arrived in 1889, and Caesalpinia cucullata, a shrub from India, dating from 1899.

The rock waterfall and small pond in one of the central beds adds humidity to the climate inside the Temperate House.

Entering the Wolfson Octagon, located on the south end of the Temperate House's main building.  The Wolfson Octagon contains displays telling the history of the Temperate House.

A colourful autumn display of chrysanthemums along the perimeter of the Wolfson Octagon.

Displays telling the history of the Temperate House from its design and construction in 1860 to the present day are interspersed with a variety of potted plants in the Wolfson Octagon.

More colourful autumn flowers in the Wolfson Octagon.

A potted firecracker fuchsia covered in bright red-orange flowers and variegated white/pink-edged leaves.

The Wolfson Octagon has no beds but instead features various plants in terracotta pots.

The African temperate plants collection in a wing at the far south end of the Temperate House.  Most of the plants displayed here are from South Africa, home to 24,000 species of which half are found growing naturally nowhere else in the world.  Many of these plants have evolved to thrive in harsh growing conditions, including acidic soils, long periods of drought, large daily temperature fluctuations, and frequent fires.

An Encephalartos altensteinii, a palm-like cycad native to South Africa, also known as the breadtree, broodboom, and Eastern Cape giant cycad.  The Encephalartos altensteinii can grow up to seven metres tall.  

A variety of African temperate plants.

Various cycads in the Temperate House's African plant collection.  Cycads are one of the Earth's oldest species of plant, first appearing in the fossil record 300 million years ago.  They predate the dinosaurs and grew on every continent, including Antarctica, but began declining during the Jurassic period, several million years ago.  Slow growers, cycads are incredibly long-lived, with some being over 1,000 years old.  There are currently 306 species of cycads. 

Leucospermum conocarpodendron, also known as the Grey tree pincushion from the Cape Province of South Africa.  When in bloom, its golden flowers contrast with the plant's grey-green leaves.  Now considered vulnerable, this shrub was once so abundant that it was used as firewood during the South African colonial period in the early 1700s, despite its thick bark making it relatively fire resistant.  The bark was also used in leather tanning and medicinally to treat dysentery.  Interestingly, Leucospermum conocarpodendron seeds stored in packets in the notebook of a Dutch merchant whose ship was captured by the Royal Navy off the Cape of Good Hope in 1803 were discovered in the UK's National Archives in 2005 and several were successfully germinated over 200 years after being originally collected.    

African cycads, including the low-growing Encephalartos lehmannii (Karoo cycad) and the taller Encephalartos trispinosus.  Cycads dominated Earth's landscape until the Jurassic period (200-150 million years ago).

Encephalartos woodii, also known as Wood's cycad, is called the 'loneliest plant at Kew' due to the fact that only one specimen has ever been found in the wild, on the edge of South Africa's Ngoye Forest in 1895.  An offcut from this 'Extinct in the Wild' male plant was brought to Kew Gardens in 1899 and originally placed in the Palm House, where it was thought it would be most comfortable.  However, after being moved to the Temperate House in 1997, the Encephalartos Woodii formed a cone for the first time ever in 2004.  Since a female Encephalartos woodii has never been discovered, natural reproduction is not possible and all existing specimens are therefore clones of this male plant.

A Strelitzia nicolai, also known as the wild banana or giant white bird of paradise.  These banana-like plants can grow to a height of 7–8 metres (23–26 feet), with clumps of plants spreading as far as 3.5 metres (11 feet). The plant's large flowers are dark blue and white with a blue-purple 'tongue'. Strelitzia nicolai is one of only a few plants found to contain the pigment bilirubin, usually found in animals.  The plant is native to parts of eastern South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.

A bed of African plants growing in rocky, gravelly soil, including several examples of Aloe jucunda, native to Somalia, and other succulent species that are well-adapted to dry conditions.

Polygala myrtifolia, also known as myrtle-leaf milkwort, is an evergreen South African shrub or small tree native to the country's southern and southeastern coasts.  A fast-growing plant, the myrtle-leaf milkwort is found on dunes, rocky places, along forest margins, beside streams, and in open grassland.  The plant's mauve-coloured flowers make it a frequent species in South African gardens and the myrtle-leaf milkwort is also noted for its antibacterial and antifungal properties.  The plant has become naturalised in coastal areas of California, New Zealand, and Norfolk Island.

The entrance to the Weston Octagon, located off the north end of the Temperate House's main building.

A potted pink Hibiscus.

A potted Hibiscus moscheutos 'Luna White'.

Like the Wolfson Octagon at the other end of the building, the Weston Octagon also features a mix of potted plants and textual displays.  The Weston Octagon's displays address the state of the world's plants. 

A large container-grown Citrus reticulata 'Okitsu', also known as a Satsuma mandarin, in the Weston Octagon.  The Satsuma mandarin is a small, easy-to-peel variety of mandarin orange which is also cold hardy and able to withstand temperatures down to about -7 degrees Celsius (19.4 degrees Fahrenheit). 

A display of small potted plants, including cycads, succulents, and cacti, with signage concerning how plant status is assessed, extinction risks, and the black market trade in plants.

To the north of the Weston Octagon is the wing housing Asian temperate plants.  Asia is home to around 100,000 plant species, more than Europe and North America combined, a reflection of the great topographical and climatic variation across the vast Asian continent.  The plants featured in the Asian wing come mostly from China.

Towering Musa basjoo, also called Japanese banana, in the Asian plants wing.

Bamboos, palms, and other exotic plant species in the Asian plants wing.

The diversity in size, shape, and texture of Asian temperate plants is seen here. 

Located steps from the west side of the Temperate House is the Davies Exploration House, which in October 2019 was housing plants from Western Australia.

With a Mediterranean climate, Western Australia is characterised by hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters.  The southwestern tip of Western Australia is one of the 25 original global biodiversity hotspots, defined as areas where there is an exception concentration of flora and fauna found naturally nowhere else on Earth.  Indeed, almost 80% of Western Australia's plant species fall into this category.  

Banksia brownii is native to the far southwestern corner of Western Australia and grows in shallow, rocky, nutrient-poor soils.  Found in only two population clusters, the number of wild Banksia brownii plants is estimated at only around 1,000, leading to it being designated 'Critically Endangered' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.  As species native to an area where wildfires are common, banksia produce seeds that only break their dormancy upon exposure to smoke; this ensures that the seeds sprout quickly after fire has passed through, with the new plants growing in the ash left behind. 

A colourful peacock, one of several living in the grounds of Kew Gardens.

The Great Pagoda, designed by Sir William Chambers and completed in 1762 as a 'folly' and gift to the founder of Kew Gardens, Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, mother of King George III.  It was one of several Chinese-style buildings at Kew Gardens designed by Sir William, who was influenced by East Asian architecture during his travels and studies in the region.  

The Great Pagoda, as seen along the Pagoda Vista, a long, straight clearing designed to provide unimpeded views of notable landmarks in Kew Gardens.  The Great Pagoda was a popular attraction when it opened, as it offered one of the finest views of London from its top.  A major restoration project was undertaken in 2018 and visitors can now climb to the top.

A closer view of the soaring Great Pagoda which, on this visit on 17 October 2019, was not open to visitors. 

The 2018 restoration of the Great Pagoda included replacement of the 80 carved, gilded wood dragons originally installed on the pagoda's roofs, which has been removed in 1784.  Although it was believed these dragons had been sold to pay off King George IV's gambling debts, experts now believe that the original wooden dragons simply rotted from exposure to the elements.

As part of the temporary exhibition of Chihuly glass sculptures at Kew Gardens in October 2019, blown glass spheres collectively known as 'Niijima Floats' sit within the carefully-raked gravel beds comprising one part of the Japanese Landscape.

The Great Pagoda is seen beyond the Japanese Landscape, which is designed as a kaiyu shiki ('stroll-around') garden.  Laid out between August 1995 and October 1996, the Japanese Landscape is designed in the style of a garden of the Momoyama period in Japan (late-16th century).  It consists of three connected gardens: a Garden of Peace, a Garden of Activity, and a Garden of Harmony.  The gravel and rocks of the dry stone garden symbolise the vigorous movement of water flowing and falling. 

The Chokushi-Mon (Gateway of the Imperial Messenger) sits at the centre of the Japanese Landscape.  It is a four-fifths size reproduction of the Karamon of Nishi Hongan-ji Temple in Kyoto and was built in 1910 for the Japan-British Exhibition hosted in London.  After the end of the Exhibition, the Chokushi-Mon was moved from its original location and reconstructed here on the grounds of Kew Gardens.  It is made of hinoki wood (Japanese cyprus) with a traditional copper roof, carvings on panels and transoms, and metal ornamentation throughout.     

The Ruined Archway was designed by architect Sir William Chambers for Princess Augusta and made to emulate a Roman ruin.  Built in 1759, it is an example of a 'folly', a structure designed to look like a ruin, which was fashionable in the 18th and 19th centuries; however, as the Ruined Archway also carried a road across what is now Kew Road, it also served a practical purpose, unlike other follies.  Chambers had studied in Italy and believed that classical Roman and Greek buildings would enhance the wild, natural look of Kew Gardens.  He intended that the Ruined Archway should lead visitors to contemplate 'the disappointments of humanity' which 'fill the mind with melancholy and incline it to serious reflections'.  When the Ruined Archway was being restored in more recent times, fragments of genuine ancient Roman and Greek sculpture were found in it, pieces which are now on display elsewhere at Kew.  

The Marianne North Gallery, housing 832 paintings of over 900 species of plants by 19th century artist Marianne North.