The shutdown had to happen because the buildings had become leaky and rusty and needed a complete overhaul.
Glass house curator Sadie Barber is delighted that, after years of disruption, the palm houses are once again being used for their intended purpose – to protect rare and and endangered plants, and to allow people to enjoy the space.
The plants were decanted to temporary homes, and then carefully moved back into the renovated space. Sadie says this has been a great achievement that wasn’t without risk.
“I think whenever you move a plant and you take it out of the ground and then you stick it in a pot, it’s going to suffer or it’s going to get under stress.
“So there was a bit of trepidation when we picked up the biggest plants, moved them to another place, and left them there for a number of years.
“We’ve done really well. It feels like a huge achievement getting all these plants back in here and having them actually so well placed.
“The glasshouse team have done an enormous job, a really exceptional job of getting the plants looking like they belong.
“So it’s great to see them actually thriving already.”
About The Author
