A new flatmate

Okay, I was going to get a new flatmate. The human variety. Slight change in plan.

Tonight I went to an evening thing at Kew with MJ.

I love going to evening things at Kew (which is round the corner from my hutch) and this evening was no disappointment. I came back with a new flatmate in the form of the most spectacular Cambria orchid. And it matches my sofa. Perfect.

Things I have learnt this evening:

- Kew at evening is breath-taking and it makes me smile with glee just wandering around (when I was a kid I wanted to live in a rhododendron bush and looking around the tropical house at night brings back all those feelings);

- Kew Gardens used to 'steal'plants from different places around the world (e.g. to start rubber plantations) - the French 'relocated' the vanilla plant from Madagascar but forgot that it needed a pollinator. Hand-pollination was sussed and is still used to this day (one of the reasons vanilla is so expensive);

- Vanilla is the only orchid to produce a crop;

- You can drink six glasses of wine while looking round an orchid house .