Audio by David Mitchell from 2005

Canary Island planting

The great expanse of this house is a direct result of the external supports designed into the Front Range that maximise the light available to the plants and provides a pillar-free internal area which is landscaped to create an atmosphere of exotic habitats.

The house is filled with plants from warm temperate climates all over the world. In this area you will find plants from the Nepal, China, Taiwan, and some parts of South America.

The house is dominated by trees and as in the wild they have been colonised by epiphytes and climbers adding an other layer to the forest that is viewed from the walkway.  Bananas and conifers add texture the the evergreen foliage of the Magnolia and Oak.

Pelargonium reniforme

At the entrance to the lower level of the glasshouse you will find plantings which highlight the flora of particular regions. On the left as you enter the house you will see a display of South African plants, in particular bulbs from this region. The flora of the Canary Islands is also highlighted, with plantings of Aeonium, Geranium canariensis, Echium and Phoenix dactylifera, the Canary Island date palm (you can read more about this as part of the World of Palms trail).