Category Archives: Design

Berlin Botanical Garden labelling system

Last Autumn I attended a workshop in Berlin for the i4Life project that was based at the botanic garden so i had the opportunity to look at the glasshouse displays there and record the labelling used.  The tropical fern glasshouse … Continue reading

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We now have wireless internet :-)

The first order placed during the development of the tropical glasshouse was for installation of the wireless internet system.  However, providing a good signal when the nearest wired internet is 300m away, there was to be minimal spillage of signal … Continue reading

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RHS Wisley Glasshouse labelling system

Perhaps one of the most impressive new glasshouses in the UK is that at the RHS gardens Wisley.  Under one elegantly curved roof is a range of environments split between warm temperate and humid tropical.  The glasshouse has a floor … Continue reading

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Plant Labelling – some examples

Discussions about design and production of the plant labels are now underway.  There are several practical challenges as well as the design issues: the labels must be waterproof, they must be cleanable to remove limescale from the watering system and … Continue reading

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Groundwork stage 1 – heavy duty design

This gallery contains 3 photos.

At lunchtime today we started moving some of the railway sleepers to mark out the design of the tropical glasshouse planting areas on the ground.  There is a world of difference between a sketch on paper and the reality of … Continue reading

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Substrate notes – Seramis

Some of the plants we plan to grow need special growing conditions beyond simply that of extra heat.  Many tropical plants need a moist but well aerated growing medium and this can be supplied by adding various lighweight aggregates to … Continue reading

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Rough plan for new glasshouse layout

Thanks to those of you who have helped formulate the draft plan.  The overall plan is to have four main themes: Neotropics, Palaeotropics, A tropical smallholding, Challenging environments. Neotropics will include bromeliads, wet loving cacti, Giant mexican horsetail, passion flowers, … Continue reading

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The current layout of the tropical glasshouse

The current tropical glasshouse layout has a traditional central path with beds on either side.  While this can be practical it is not ideal for student use and a circular route would be better to allow flow of people around.  … Continue reading

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