In 2008 we visited the Royal Greenhouse in Belgium.
The Belgian Royal Greenhouses are situated just outside Brussels at The Royal Family's Summer residence at Laeken.
Built
between 1874 and 1905 by King Leopold 2nd, who had a special love of
plants and flowers.
The Winter
Garden Dome, 25.6 m high is
supported by 36 pillars, constructed between 1874—76,
it required 651.5 tons of
steel.
There is a Palm greenhouse built between 1892—95 and a Congo greenhouse. The King was fascinated by the mystery of Central
Africa with its exotic fauna and flora and its wealth of ivory, copper, rubber
and tropical hardwoods.
By the time of Leopold's death the royal greenhouses were the largest and housed the most remarkable private botanical garden in the world.
The
Belgian Congo was transferred from being a royal possession to a Belgian colony in 1908 and remained so until 1960.
One of the plants that caught our eye was Medinilla Magnifica, seen here inside the Embarcardair
greenhouse...
...it is a
tropical plant from the forests of Java and the Philippines, the large ones in
the greenhouses are more than 30 years old.
The Chinese vases were brought back from the
Far East around 1860 by Leopold 2nd.
We had not visited a Garden Centre since well before the Christmas madness.
Tempted by a 2 for 1 breakfast offer and a voucher of £1.81 (I know, I am easily led!) and telling myself it was too wet to do anything in the garden, we enjoyed a very good breakfast. The restaurant was packed and everyone appeared to have the breakfast voucher.
While needing nothing much for the garden? we went in separate directions, me to look for seed potatoes and bird food, Irene to the deli and to admire the orchids where she found...
Medinilla Magnifica plants for sale, well...
one had to come home and take pride of place in the corner of the dinning room.
I know some of my fellow bloggers have taken the pledge not to purchase any plants this year,
not something I could do!
Have you been tempted?
Please click on any picture to create a slide show.
I have a slide show presentation based on our visit to Belgium.
Oh that looks marvelous! Am I allowed to be very glad you both gave in to the temptations of the day? I doubt I will ever put a year-long embargo on plant-buying, and certainly not during the first few years trying to get a new garden on its feet! Of course, the rest of the story is that I couldn't wait to start the next section of the garden... three new plants already for it, plus a rose on order... ;-)
ReplyDeleteI look forward to seeing the next section develop Amy.
DeleteA beautiful plant (the leaves as well as the superb pink flowers) - and it gives a sense of scale when you compare your small example in the house with the big ones in the greenhouse. The greenhouse must be huge!
ReplyDeleteI have not been tempted to buy any plants for a while, but my husband can't resist a bargain. In late December he bought a white Kalanchoe for £1 in the local fruit shop. We only realised why it was cheap when the light caught it in a certain way - it's covered in Christmas glitter...
All the best :)
The greenhouses are huge with each area managed to reach its peak during the open weekends. You have your first Christmas decoration ready then?
DeleteI am always tempted in garden centres. I would certainly be tempted by that plant.
ReplyDeleteIt is almost impossible to pop in to a GC for just a coffee!!
DeleteThat is a lovely story Brian.... you were destined to have one of those gorgeous tropical plants! I haven't been tempted to buy any new plants yet, but with the mild weather this week I might just pep up a pot on my front steps. The shops are flirting springtime primulas in all colours of the rainbow...
ReplyDeleteThank you Cathy, the problem with buying any springtime plants at the moment is if we have a sudden cold period.
DeleteOh what a beauty Brian. It's not a plant I've heard of so must find out more. I've only bought snowdrops so far this year. Do they count? :)
ReplyDeleteNo Anna bulbs don't count!
DeleteBeautiful plant, it is easy to be weakened by plants. I could not imagine going a year without buying a plant. The bigger problem is where to put them. Amelia
ReplyDeleteThat is always the problem!
DeleteWhat a gorgeous plant and nice to have one in your home now Brian. Angie + houseplants = instantaneous death! I hope it does well in your home.
ReplyDeleteI am one of those said bloggers taking the plunge - I am afraid to say the pledge got broken today. No will power me!
Irene use to be + houseplants=death, until she was given some orchids, they have done well and the collection has grown. I hope this one will do as well!
DeleteWow, what an impressive Greenhouse! It looks a beautiful building, inside and out. Ha-ha, Angie and Irene, me too but funnily enough I have coped ok with orchids for a while at least. I can easily see why Medinilla Magnifica just had to go home with you from the GC (a great talking point in your dining room between courses too) what a beuaty it is too - enjoy :-) Btw... what's this about bloggers not buying plants this year... not possible for me to sign up to that. I love impulse and sentimental buys too much ;-)
ReplyDeleteThey are impressive Greenhouses Shirley my blog only shows a small part of it and the planting was fantastic.
DeleteMaybe you had just recently heard that House Plants are the latest big thing..on the radio last week, but I would have been seduced by this plant without any other inducement!
ReplyDeleteI actually thought we had enough house plants until I saw this one!
Deletethe flowers are amazing on that plant! I am an impulse buyer of plants too, like many of your other readers, so no such 'no more plant' pledges here!
ReplyDeleteI 'try' not to be an impulse plant buyer for the garden, but I am weak!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful plant (the leaves as well as the superb pink flowers) - and it gives a sense of scale when you compare your small example in the house with the big ones in the greenhouse. The greenhouse must be huge!
ReplyDeleteI have not been tempted to buy any plants for a while, but my husband can't resist a bargain. In late December he bought a white Kalanchoe for £1 in the local fruit shop. We only realised why it was cheap when the light caught it in a certain way - it's covered in Christmas glitter...
All the best :)