Everything You Need To Know: About Kew Garden’s Orchid Festival

The iconic Orchid Festival returns to Kew Gardens from 4 February until 5 March and this year is inspired by the biodiversity of Cameroon, the first time the festival has celebrated an African nation.

The festival, which is the perfect antidote to the dreary London winter weather, takes place in the state-of-the-art Princess of Wales Conservatory in the grounds of the garden and will showcase horticultural displays and living sculptures inspired by the flora and fauna of Cameroon while replicating a series of global ecosystems under one roof.

Known the world over for its commitment to science and expertise in global horticulture, for this exhibition the Royal Botanic Gardens has joined forces with the National Herbarium of Cameroon as well as other state agencies to identify Tropical Important Plant Areas (TIPAs) within the country - as a means to safeguarding their futures. 

This collaboration has also seen the team working with various partners to document the biodiversity of Cameroon’s Ebo Forest with a view to designating the area as a Tropical Important Plant Area. Ebo Forest is one of the last great rainforests to be explored, in fact to date 14 plant species new-to-science have been discovered in Ebo (with more yet to be named) and over 75 threatened species of plants have been recorded there. The area is also home to a population of chimpanze which uses stones to crack nuts for food and twigs to fish out insects and fish. The work being carried out as part of the Orchid Festival will work towards ensuring the long-term survival of Cameroon’s endemic, threatened and socio-economically important plant species - ensuring it can be enjoyed for generations to come.  

The Orchid Festival is one of the many events that takes place throughout the year at Kew Garden - which is itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Garden is home to over 50,000 living plants, dozens of annual exhibitions, themed events and short courses. Members can learn to propagate their own plants, paint floral watercolors or discover how to turn their garden into an organic wonderland. The Garden also runs a series of accessible events such as family sensory tours, dementia-friendly walks and monthly sign language tours. 

The grounds of Kew Garden are also home to a number of landmarks, including the famous Great Pagoda, which offers unparalleled views across London. Other landmarks include Davis Alpine House, which echoes the algorithm of high altitude terrain; the Bamboo Garden and Minka which is home to a traditional Japanese farmhouse; and the Mediterranean Garden and King William Temple which echoes a mediterranean climate and ecosystem. 

The Gardens themselves date back to the 18th century, and were first founded in 1759 when Princess Augusta, mother of King George III, established a nine-acre botanic garden within the pleasure grounds at Kew. The garden grew to feature the many sights it has today and to become a worldwide research centre. 

For a full list of events and for more information on the Orchid Festival, visit kew.org