The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011 - Protea 'Pink Ice'
In the depths of winter there is a surprising haven filled with blossoming plants in the Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, near Llanarthne in Carmarthenshire.
An even greater surprise is the fact that the garden is open FREE to visitors during January 2011 – although a donation would of course be much appreciated.
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
While the outside world is under ice, the Great Glasshouse maintains an environment suitable for plants from regions with a Mediterranean climate – as the website puts it: “hot dry summers, cool moist winters, dazzling sunlight, strong breezes and the occasional ground-clearing fire create perfect conditions for many plants to thrive on the scrubby, rock-strewn landscapes”.
Ice on a water-lily pond at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January...
I have to admit that when the Great Glasshouse was unveiled in the year 2000 I was disappointed that it was not a lush tropical house, but I have come to appreciate its subtlety.
Six areas of the world are represented: California, Australia, the Canary Islands, Chile, South Africa and the Mediterranean Basin. These regions cover less than 2% of the Earth’s surface, but contain more than 20% of all known flowering plant species.
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse was designed by Norman Foster and Partners and is the biggest single-span glasshouse in the world. At first it reminded me of a Teletubbies house, although the website says: “Poised on the Welsh landscape like a giant raindrop, it protects and conserves some of the most endangered plants on the planet”.
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
Anyway, it is a wonderful place to visit to photograph or draw or paint the plants, all year round…
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011 - Senecio candidans
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011 - Callistemon
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011 - Hakea suaveolens
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011 - Protea 'Pink Ice'
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011 - Agapanthus
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011 - Perityle incana
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011 - Aloe dichotoma
The Great Glasshouse at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in January 2011
Lovely pictures. I’ve only been there once and will have to return soon.
Thank you for your kind words. I usually go to both the botanic garden and nearby Aberglasney in one day. If you do, I suggest morning and lunch in Aberglasney and then to the botanic, which is lovely but the home-made food at Aberglasney is better!
I find gardens have something to offer all year round – but the flowers in the glasshouse were a midwinter surprise – a real treat…
Best wishes…