In January I’m looking for a Winter Garden
(This month I want to see photos and stories about winter gardens. You can interpret this any way you want; a garden in winter, winter flowers, or plants in a glasshouse)
This is the Great Glasshouse at the Botanic Garden of Wales. The unusual raindrop-shaped design was the work of world-renowned architects Norman Foster and Partners and it is the largest single span glasshouse in the world.
The plants come from six areas of the world: California, Australia, the Canary Islands, Chile, South Africa and the Mediterranean Basin and the glasshouse is used to protect and conserve some of the most endangered plants on the planet.
One of the loveliest things about visiting a glasshouse such as this is that you feel as though you have just travelled to some exotic part of the world, or in this case, several.
If you would like to join in with Garden Photography then please take a look at my Garden Photography Page. No complicated rules 🙂
- Create your own post and title it January: Winter Gardens
- Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
- Add the tag “GardenChallenge” so everyone can find the posts easily in the WP Reader
- Get your post in by the end of the month, as the new theme comes out on the first Sunday in February.
- Please visit the sites in the comments to see what others are posting.
Earth laughs in flowers 
What a beautiful place to visit during winter time. Great photos of these colorful flowers, Jude. 🙂
Anywhere indoors is good in our British climate!
How lovely! I haven’t had the chance to join in with the link up, but you might like these photos of Edinburgh’s winter garden (from the outside) the buildings are beautiful.
http://www.lovefromscotland.co.uk/Edinburgh-Botanic-Garden
Thanks Smidge. I have been over for a look at your post and blog. You have some lovely Scotland photos there. I am now planning a holiday in Scotland!
Smashing. I’m curious, are the non-local species ( flowers etc) pollinated by local bees and flies?
I have no idea, but there are insects and birds inside the glasshouse.
I ask only because I live in Jo’berg and to encourage specific butterflies and bugs etc it is suggested I ensure the garden is well stocked with the plants the insects like.
Nice post.
We’re in the middle of Summer down here so my ”Winter Photos” will have to wait ’til July.
😉
Well, yes, that is a good idea. Although I don’t have a garden, only a small patio, I have pots which attract the bees and butterflies and unfortunately slugs and snails! As for a winter garden photo you are allowed to dig in the archives! Or perhaps you have visited a glasshouse somewhere? Anyway, nice to see you and thanks for commenting and maybe next month’s theme will be more up your street 🙂
Jude xx
I actually have a couple of actual snow photos. A real treat for Johannesburg.
Pingback: Winter Garden ‘Snowku’ | restlessjo
It’s interesting that in the United States we say greenhouse because of the green things grown inside, while you say glasshouse because of the material used in the structure. The one in Wales certainly deserves to be called a glasshouse. Regardless of the name, people inside shouldn’t throw stones.
We tend to use greenhouse too for the smaller ones in our own gardens, but the larger structures seem to be glasshouses. This one is a beauty.
It certainly is. I wonder if your use of glasshouse for the large structures dates back to the Crystal Palace:
http://www.britannica.com/topic/Crystal-Palace-building-London