Fiery flowers

Conservatory in Broomfield park
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We were having a lazy Sunday, ambling through our local park yesterday when we saw the conservatory and thought we’d have a look around. It’s only open now and againso we decided to have a nosey. The glass was all steamed up because of the condensation and as soon as we stepped through the doors, we were away from the cold and in a warm and humid tropical greenhouse. As we were marvelling at some huge peachy flowers, a friendly Scottish lady greeted us and explained how the plant originated from South America and people used to chew on the leaves as a natural anaesthetic. She added that in Scotland they would have just had some whiskey!

As we walked around, we passed a whole range of beautiful flowering plants. There were delicate orchids and fiery flowers with long latin names. There were also carnivorous plants, prickly cacti and succulents. It was well worth a visit and definitely a far cry from the grey, January day that we’d come from.


1. to amble (verb)
To walk in a slow relaxed way
2. a conservatory (noun) 
A building or room with glass walls
3. now and again (phrase)
Another way of saying 'sometimes'.
4. to have a nosey (phrase - informal)
To have a look
5. to be steamed up (phrasal verb)
When glass is covered with steam
6. condensation (noun)
Drops of water that form on a cold surface when vapour cools down.
7. humid (adj.)
Weather that is hot and has a lot of moisture (water) in the air.
8. greenhouse (noun)
A small building made of glass that some people have in their gardens.
9. to marvel (verb)
To be amazed by something
10. peachy (adj.)
Something that is peach in colour
11. to chew (verb)
When you bite something continuously. We chew food before we swallow it but we also chew chewing gum.
12. anaesthetic (noun)
A drug that stops you from feeling things, i.e pain.
13. flowering (adj.)
When a plant has flowers
14. fiery (adj)
Bright in colour and usually yellow, orange or red
15. carnivorous (adj.)
Plants that eat insects.
16. prickly (adj.)
Something that has small spikes and is not smooth.

17. a succulents (noun)
Plants that have quite thick stems and contain a lot of water.
18. a far cry from (phrase)
To be very different from