How many of you feel calm when surrounded by the beauty of nature? Flowers have a way of evoking happiness, peace and warmth. The displays at the orchid festival in Kew Gardens do just this - the colourful burst of life, the array of numerous orchid species of different hues and sizes, create an enchanting, vibrant composition which celebrates biodiversity. 

Within the Princess of Wales conservatory at Kew Gardens are beautiful arches and a variety of orchid displays. Amongst them are a small range of Madagascar orchids - including Darwin’s orchid, Angraecum sesquipedale. 

Fun fact: The Angraecum sesquipedale, Darwin’s orchid, has a white star-shaped flower with a long nectary. Darwin hypothesised that only a creature with a similarly long tongue could pollinate a flower such as this. This hypothesis turned out to be accurate when in 1903 the Malagasy subspecies of the African hawkmoth, Xanthopan praedicta, was discovered.

On the water lily pond is the stunning central display of the Lovers Baobab, native to Madagascar, surrounded by a myriad of colourful orchids. Amongst these orchids are floral sculptures of Malagasy wildlife, including ring-tailed lemurs, chameleons and aye-aye, the world’s largest nocturnal primate. Further aspects of the culture of Madagascar bring the festival to life - the Malagasy music playing in the background and the festival food, which honours the special flavours of authentic recipes from Madagascar. These add to the celebration of the nature and culture of Madagascar, allowing visitors to have a glimpse of what the island has to offer.

As well as showcasing a magnificent variety of orchids, the orchid festival also allows visitors to learn about the plant conservation that’s happening at Kew and Kew’s Madagascar Conservation centre. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew have been working with Malagasy scientists, and local partners and communities in Madagascar to protect the island’s unique flora and fauna which are critically threatened. 

Visitor Usha Raj said: “I really enjoyed the orchid festival, which had beautiful installations of orchids. The Malagasy music and exhibition photos added to the cultural elements of the festival.” As an additional part of the festival, there is a mini photographic exhibition by Malagasy photographer Tina Waibel showing photos of people going about their everyday lives in rural Madagascar. 

The 2024 orchid festival allows visitors to revel in the magnificence of nature and provides a window into the unique biodiversity and culture of Madagascar. This magical celebration of nature and Malagasy customs is at Kew until Sunday 3rd March.