9 February 2018

Photo Diary: Orchids Festival 2018 at Kew Gardens

Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens Princess of Wales Conservatory 2018

If you listen really carefully right about *now*, you'll hear the sound of a thousand bloggers and Instagrammers slapping on their lippy and heading to a certain botanical gardens for their latest photo shoot.

Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens Princess of Wales Conservatory 2018


Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens Princess of Wales Conservatory 2018


I am of course talking about Kew Gardens, which has just launched its annual Orchids Festival in the Princess of Wales Conservatory.

Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens Princess of Wales Conservatory 2018


The absolute highlight (although strictly off-limits for those close-up selfies) is the floating installation on the pond, which features 600 individual orchids and depicts Thailand's Bang Pa-In Palace:

Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens Princess of Wales Conservatory 2018

Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens Princess of Wales Conservatory 2018


Elsewhere, join the bundle for a photo with one of the three floral arches adorning the conservatory's winding pathways.

Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens Princess of Wales Conservatory 2018

Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens Princess of Wales Conservatory 2018

Orchids grow up pillars and across pathways, and even hang from the ceiling:

Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens Princess of Wales Conservatory 2018


It's absolutely stunning, composed of almost 7,000 individual orchids, but as well as showcasing the flowers, the festival is a celebration of Thai culture.

Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens Princess of Wales Conservatory 2018
Can I get some blogger points for matching my nail varnish to the flowers?

Fun fact: five water dragons live permanently in the conservatory to keep unwanted insects in check. They're notoriously difficult to spot - especially when a herd of scoop-hungry press photographers is stomping about all over the place - so I wasn't lucky enough to see them this time.

Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens Princess of Wales Conservatory 2018


A word of warning: the festival is inside a tropical conservatory, so things get hot and steamy. I left my house in -3° to get to the press preview, wrapped up to the extreme, which resulted in much sweating on arrival. It also meant that camera lenses were steaming up left, right and centre hence the less-than-ideal quality of some of these pictures. But, this does mean it makes for an excellent day out in these cold winter months.

Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens Princess of Wales Conservatory 2018


 If you're on Instagram, you can expect to see a lot of this place over the coming month, but if you get the chance, I'd recommend heading there in person - selfies optional.

Orchids Festival at Kew Gardens, 10 February-11 March 2018. Entry to the festival is included in a general admission ticket.

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