Glasshouse
The glasshouse is home to orchids, bromeliads, ferns and other plants that need special conditions to flourish. Outside the glasshouse is an arid landscapes garden, plus a fernery and water feature with seasonal flower garden beds.
There are two sections to the glasshouse:
- the warm ‘tropical house’ – maintained between 25 and 32 Celsius by passive solar heating via the big north facing windows and a 9 kilowatt heating system for the cooler nights
- the ‘shade house’ a shady, cooler space open to the outside air – which makes a refreshing change after the heat and humidity of the tropical house.
The plants in both the tropical and shade houses are watered with drip and mist irrigation. Hidden under the soil is 180 tonnes of gravel and a network of drainage pipes to ensure the soil is well drained.
The tropical house is home to some very cold sensitive plants from tropical regions such as Indonesia and Malaysia. This includes the tall red stemmed Lipstick Palm (Cyrtostachys renda) dominating the northern window and the Parasol Palm (Licuala orbicularis) underneath this – a rainforest plant native to Borneo where it is used to make hats, wrap food and for roof thatching.
The shade house protects plants from extreme temperature variations in much the same way as the dense canopy of a rainforest would. Here you will find a variety or ferns, orchids, anthuriums and other shade loving plants. To help you contemplate these wonderful plants there is also a resting seat inside the shade house.