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24/07/2012Go Back 
Margo Baird 
Scone Palace in full bloom for Festival of Orchids
Scone Palace will be playing host to some of the country’s foremost orchid experts and retailers when the popular Festival of Orchids returns to the Palace grounds from 4th – 5th August 2012.
The festival, one of the most colourful events in the Scottish horticultural calendar, includes spectacular displays of the newest and most exotic hybrids - as well as more traditional varieties - from some of the UK’s most prestigious orchid nurseries including David Stead Orchids, Burnham Nurseries, Laurence Hobbs Orchids and, new for 2012, Chantelle Orchids with their rare species from Taiwan.
Plants from all the suppliers will be available for purchase during the weekend. As well as enjoying the stunning floral displays, visitors will also be able to listen to talks by growers and exhibitors on the art of orchid growing each day.
Away from the floral marquee, festival-goers will be able to enjoy a hog roast BBQ plus Scone Palace’s own ‘Scones at Scone’ each day, whilst relaxing on the Palace lawns and enjoying music from ‘Songscape’, a locally-based vocal harmony group. Additional refreshments will be available in the Old Servants’ Hall Coffee Shop and Food Shop.
Perth’s ‘Wicked Chocolate Company’, who specialise in hand-made chocolate using the finest cocoa beans, will be offering tastings of their luxury chocolates over the course of the weekend in the exhibitors’ marquee, as well as an opportunity to purchase from their range of creamy truffles and cooking, drinking and baking chocolate.
Scotland’s only dedicated cider-makers, Thistly Cross Cider, will also be on hand to quench thirsty palettes with their award-winning farmhouse brew.
Heather McArthur, Events Manager at Scone Palace said: “The Orchid Festival here at Scone has become a well established and popular event, and is a ‘must visit’ in the horticultural calendar. Not only will visitors be able to admire the beauty of hundreds of orchids in full bloom, but they can also buy from a selection of orchids for sale to suit all tastes and pockets, from a simple and inexpensive houseplant to those hard to find plants for the dedicated orchid grower, plus find lots of advice for beginners or the more advanced grower.
“We are particularly pleased to be welcoming Chantelle Orchids here to the Palace for the first time. Chantelle, the UK branch of the established Hsiang Yu Orchid Nursery in Taiwan, provided blooms for the Orchid Society of Great Britain’s spectacular display at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show and as such are sure to be a big draw for festival-goers at Scone”.
The Festival will take place from 9.30am – 5pm each day. Grounds only entry fee applies - £5.80 adults, £4.00 children, £5.15 concessions.
