THE EXOTIC LANDSCAPE of foreign climates is closer than you think. We have chosen three days out across the UK that will give you a flavour of some of the vibrant plants found abroad. As a part of our ‘Grow Your Own Curry’ campaign, they will provide you with plenty of ideas of how to cultivate some tasty produce at home and get you thinking about the next growing season!
To win a great day out at one of three British Botanic Gardens do one of the following!
EMAIL: Send your details to competition @britishcurryclub.co.uk with “BOTANIC” in the subject line AND LET US KNOW WHICH BOTANIC GARDEN YOU WOULD LIKE TICKETS FOR – KEW – EDINBURGH OR WALES
FACEBOOK:POST “BOTANIC” ON OUR WALL, ‘Like’ our page and share our competition post
TWITTER: Re-tweet our competition post and follow us
CLOSING DATE: 4 SEPTEMBER 2015
ANY OF THE THREE WAYS CAN WIN!
IN AN ENGLISH COUNTRY GARDEN
Kew is a widely popular garden set over 300
acres of luscious Richmond soil. It has built
up a collection of over 30,000 species of plants
from English Roses to exotic Venus Fly Traps.
The UNESCO world heritage site is a great
attraction close to the capital city for London
tourists hoping to escape the concrete jungle.
The scale and variety of the gardens at Kew
makes it unrivalled for a horticultural day trip.
The perfect plants and beautiful buildings are a lovely backdrop for a Great Day Out this summer. Kew appeals particularly to our love of food and spices with its spice festival this year running from May to September. Spice lovers can learn about the history of the trade which brought so much flavour to our plates from foreign shores. Artefacts from the East India trading company, rickshaw inspired tours
of the gardens and street food vans will all add an exotic element to your day.
HIGHLIGHT: Raymond Blanc’s kitchen garden, Kew On A Plate.
IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
The Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh have a surprising array of exotic plants, which is less Expected among the cold and rugged highlands. Just a mile from the city centre, the gardens are in a perfect accessible location. Set over 70 acres of gardens, plants from exotic climes with an international
heritage spice up the Scottish landscape. The rainforest has been recreated in Scotland with the wet tropics growing some of our favourite cardamom flowers and turmeric roots. The food stall in the Victorian glasshouse shows how many of our foods come from these hot and steamy climates. Bananas, rice, sugar and cocoa all grow in the replicated rainforest climate of the glasshouse. Plants
here are larger than life, the giant Victorian water lilies are far larger than dinner plates and can reach up to 2 metres in diameter. The edible gardening project is not to be missed, the team give great advice in their special drop-in sessions, and the productive garden is the perfect visual example of all their hints and tips. Learn about sowing seeds, pruning, harvesting, storing and preparing your own produce for truly home-made dishes, with tips for growing those spices we love from hotter origins from the adverse weather perspective of Scottish gardeners!
HIGHLIGHT: The different species of rice plants growing around the extraordinary giant lily-pad pond.
IN THE FIELDS OF WALES
You are guaranteed to see a whole lot more than daffodils in the National Botanic Gardens of Wales. It hosts 8,000 different species of plants and a rich collection of art, sculptures and architecture across 560 acres of Carmarthenshire. The gardens branch out into exotic collections from the South African
Western Cape to California and Chile. The Botanic Gardens help to preserve some of the rarest and most exotic plants in the world.
As the seasonal fruit and vegetables ripen in the late summer months, the bee garden quietens. The garden designed to house hundreds of bees, allow visitors to get a closer look at a working bee hive where their sweet honey is made. Popular plants for bees, aromatic herbs such as marjoram, basil,
sage and mint are all planted in the garden. The honey they produce comes from these aromatic and pollen rich plants.
HIGHLIGHT: The doubled walled garden growing a variety of fruit and vegetables.
WRITTEN BY HELEN WHITE
