Orchid Festival
17 February 2009
A touch of the exotic will be at Chester Zoo in February – and this time it is plants, not animals, under the spotlight.
From February 17 to Sunday February 22, the zoo will be hosting its annual Orchid Festival giving green-fingered visitors the chance to find out more
Grosvenor Garden Centre has once again stepped in to support Chester Zoo’s Orchid Festival. They first supported the event last year as part of Cheshire’s Year of Gardens and the decision to renew their support in 2009 was a very welcome one.
In conjunction with the National Association of Flower Arranging Societies (NAFAS), the zoo’s gardeners will put together stunning orchid displays in the Grow Zone, Tropical Realm, Spirit of the Jaguar and the new Butterfly Journey exhibit, of which the native outdoor garden has also been sponsored by Grosvenor Garden Centre.
Orchids can be purchased throughout the festival and Cheshire and North Wales Orchid Society (CANWOS) members will be on hand to answer questions on how to care for orchids in the home.
Mark Sparrow, the zoo’s Curator of Botany and Horticulture, said: “Our Orchid Festival gives zoo visitors the chance to see some stunning displays but the event is about much more than that. Zoo experts together with those from CANWOS will be on hand with advice and tips about how the care for plants and even children can get involved with activities in the Grow Zone. As well as seeing the many stunning orchid displays, visitors can also tour our greenhouses to see the rest of our plant collection. Our festival is a fabulous opportunity to see one of the best collections of orchids in the North West and once in the zoo, the festival is free.”
For further information on zoo opening times and prices visit www.chesterzoo.org or call 01244 380280. Entry to the festival is included in normal zoo admission.
Supported by Grosvenor Garden Centre