This is the first time that Longwood Gardens will be growing plants for the Flower Show, and the Victoria platters are a favorite of Longwood’s guests! We are excited to share this amazing plant with the Flower Show’s 250,000 visitors. If you have visited Longwood during the summer months, you know that these plants are one of the biggest attractions in our water garden display.
'Longwood Hybrid' Water-platter
Once the excitement of being invited to participate in this year’s flower show subsided, the real fun began. We sowed the seeds for the plants in late November to give us as much growing time as possible before the opening of the show at the end of February.
Victoria seed
Within two weeks the seed germinated and the race was on! When we began, we were hoping to have 3-foot wide leaves for the show. We added lights to supplement the short days of winter, and heated the water to 80 degrees Fahrenheit using submersible aquarium heaters combined with small pumps to help circulate the water. Unsure exactly how the seedling would respond, we started with 18-20 hours of supplemental light. Within 10 days the tiny seedlings had grown to nearly 12 inches in diameter.
We quickly realized that is was not only possible to have 3-foot leaves for the show, but is was likely that these impressive plants would reach 4-feet+ in diameter. We had to make plans for a temporary tank to be built in our Production Greenhouse. What a luxury to have a staff of craftsman on the property that could help us along the way! Once the tank was built we added a liner, supplemental lights and heat. The new tank measured 10 feet x 10 feet, giving us room to grow two plants.
"Sedan" carrier used to transport Victoria
Since the leaves were growing so quickly, we turned our attention to the next challenge at hand: how to move plants with 4-foot leaves into their new tank. We had to stabilize the leaves so that the thorns on the underside did not damage themselves or other leaves. Once again our carpenters came to rescue. After several discussions we decided on a structure what could best be described as “sedan chair,” similar to a chair that would be used to carry nobility. How fitting since the plant is named in honor of Queen Victoria! The leaves were sandwiched in a bed of wet sphagnum to help keep the plant hydrated, and finally wrapped in a layer of plastic before being sealed for the move.
Sandwiching Victoria leaves between layers of sphagnum moss
Once the plants reached their new location, we removed the sphagnum from the leaves and lifted the pot from its “bed.” Each leaf was supported by a gardener, who carefully watched that the thorns and petioles didn’t inflict injury. Now in their new home, the Victoria Water-platters are growing happily and waiting for their chance at stardom at this year’s Philly Flower show.
Carefully moving Victoria to tank in Production Greenhouse facility
Guests to the “Explorer’s Garden” will also see New Guinea impatiens, now a staple in home gardens around the country, but first brought back to the US after a Longwood-sponsored trip to New Guinea in 1970. Other notable plants include the Meconopsis or blue-poppy. This startling blue beauty requires the cool climate of the Himalayas, Scotland or Alaska to flower, but Longwood growers have successfully forced Meconopsis for display in the Conservatory each March since 2002. Longwood is also contributing Echium candicans ‘Select Blue’, a perennial with a bright blue spike and Echium wildpretii that can produce flower spikes up to five feet tall. Finally, Longwood is also growing a selection of large specimen poinsettias, paying homage to the popular holiday flower that was on display at the very first Philadelphia Flower Show.
See you at the show!
Here is the obvious question!!!
How will you transport the platters to the Flower Show hall?
Can’t wait to see them at the show!
Jim–
Moving the plants is one of the most interesting parts of this project. It is imperative that we do all we can to keep the leaves from be damaged, since they will not produce additional leaves at the show.
The largest leaves are nearly 4 feet in diameter, and tissue is surprisingly thin. The strength of the leaf comes from the radial arrangement of mid-ribs that support the leaf. When moving the plants each leaf is assigned its own person who will support the leaf with a piece of styrofoam to keep it flat.
The petiole of the leaf also presents a problem in that they are covered with large spines, more correctly called prickles, that need to be covered to protect them from damaging the leaf as we lift the plant out of the water.
Once out of the water we move quickly to finish the packing by sandwiching the leaves between layers of sphagnum moss to keep the plant hydrated during the trip to the Convention Center.
The box we are using is an insulated plywood box measuring 5′x 10′and will take 4 people to carry. The plants will be transported in one of our box trucks that is equipped with auxiliary heat. If all goes as planned we will enter the show through one of the large overhead doors used for bringing in large tress. Once inside, the crates will be carried as close as possible to the exhibit before being uncrated and put into the pond.
The plants are being displayed in the Explorer’s Garden exhibit, which was designed and installed by Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
To the best of my knowledge this will only be the second time that Victoria has made a debut at the flower show, the first time was in 1851. Be sure to stop by the exhibit, which will be front and center as enter the show.
Many thanks for your curiosity!
Tim
What will happen to these particular plants after the show?
Compost?
[...] has always been the conservatory. and the water garden display right outside is mind blowing. the water platter plant just amazes me. we were so tempted to climb right up onto one. it could hold a small child [...]