export_ofoct.com

[00:00.70] Kew's Palm House is a wonder of the Victorian age.

[00:03.37] When it opened in 1848, it was the largest glass house ever constructed.

[00:07.87] But the hot and humid conditions inside that are essential for the tropical plants it houses have taken their toll on the building.

[00:15.85] Its ornate painted metalwork is rusting, and 16,000 panes of glass need to be replaced.

[00:22.22] The renovation will begin in two years' time.

[00:24.61] But the horticulturalists at Kew have already started to relocate some of the precious plants as more than 1,000 species need to be removed and safely stored before work can start.

[00:35.24] Kew is also taking the opportunity to make the greenhouse much greener, replacing the gas boilers with huge heat pumps to drastically cut its emissions.