scarlet-flowered bromeliads, silver-hued tillandsia and orchids of creamy coral, pink and buttercup yellow. The air is moist and warm, and in the background is the murmuring splash of water falling into a dark pool.

No, this is not Amazonia, but the Exotic House in the Botanical Gardens of Paget, where a simulation of a rainforest has been created.

With awareness of the importance of rainforests now at an all-time high, the Exotic House is rapidly becoming one of the most popular display houses in the 36-acre Garden.

Mr. Mike Bush, curator at the Bermuda Botanical Gardens, notes that this display, together with all the other special displays and the Visitor Centre, is now open at weekends.

"We want to stress that the Botanical Gardens are as much for Bermudians as for our visitors. And we are pleased to see that locals are taking advantage of the extended opening times.'' Mr. Bush says that heightened interest in the environment has resulted in the upgrading of the Department of Agriculture's special displays, such as the Exotic House. "We're now seeing far more school groups taking guided tours round these facilities.'' Bermuda, with its sub-tropical climate provides a favourable environment for rainforest plants and although the Exotic House occupies a fairly modest space, it is mature enough to give visitors a clear idea of how this fragile ecosystem works.

The main threats to tropical plants in Bermuda are cool winters, periods of drought and wind damage. So the Exotic House was divided into two sections.

The lower house has open slatted sides and screen roof and is home to tropical plants that thrive in unlimited rain. The upper house has Bermuda stone walls and fibreglass roof and despite the same lush appearance, nurtures plants that require more controlled watering.

While the Exotic House harbours only a tiny fraction of the vast number of species found in rainforests (they account for about 50 percent of all the known plants found on earth), the characteristic system of layered vegetation is plainly visible.

In its natural state, the rainforest consists of tall trees that form a canopy of shade over the forest floor. To compensate for the lack of sunlight, many different species of plants attach themselves to shrubs and trees at all levels. These are known as epiphytes and include orchids and a large variety of ferns.

Visitors can also see the ingenious way in which certain rainforest plants form tanks with their own leaves to trap water, falling leaves and other debris to shape their own personal "compost bins''.

"We call this the Exotic House because the plants in here all come from other places and would not grow naturally here,'' explains Mr. Bush.

He is equally proud of the Cacti House, where there is an extensive collection of fantastically shaped cacti and other succulent plants. "Our collection in these two houses comes from all over the world and have different flowering cycles. Because of this, visitors can be sure of seeing things in bloom, whatever the season.'' Mr. Bush was brought to Bermuda two years ago on a three-year contract as the first person to hold the title of Curator. His mission is "to bring the Gardens, Arboretum and Tulo Valley Nursery to world class standards.'' As part of that brief, he has upgraded the various display houses and is enthusiastic about the ambitious, two-year gardener training scheme put in place by the Assistant Director for Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. Roberta Dow.

"All of our gardeners are taking this course and we can already see the results,'' he enthuses.

In his efforts to support the Gardens, Mr. Bush accepted the position of President of the Bermuda Botanical Society.

"As I see it, the Society's most challenging role so far has been the totally volunteer operation of the Visitor Centre, which opened in March of last year.'' While Bermudians may feel a twinge of regret for the restaurant that was ousted to make room for the Centre, it cannot be denied that the new facility will have a wide appeal. Besides being the headquarters for tours, visitors can also obtain informative literature and watch an excellent, locally produced video on the Island's geological history and flora and fauna.

There is also a cafeteria and a tastefully stocked gift shop that sells all manner of goods with a loosely botanical theme -- T-shirts with hand-painted Bermuda flowers, jams, honeys, `banana' dolls, postcards, gardening tools and an attractive selection of gift items from England's Kew Gardens.

"This is probably the only place in Bermuda where you can pop out and buy a last-minute gift for someone at ten o'clock on a Sunday morning,'' he laughs.

All proceeds from the Botanical Society are donated to various Gardens projects. One of their current objectives is to buy a heavy-duty wheelchair so that physically handicapped visitors can make the most of the Gardens' attractions.

The Society also holds talks and field trips for those interested in plants and gardening.

Mr. Bush came to Bermuda with an impressive background of experience. Armed with a degree in botany, he has held managerial positions at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida, at the nursery division of the Florida Cypress Gardens and most recently with the Crystal Bridge Gardens in Oklahoma, famous for its innovative, cylindrical-shaped tropical conservatory.

He has even had a rare plant named after him.

"When I was working at Marie Selby, back in the '70s, I went on an expedition to Ecuador, in a remote area off the main Andean mountain chain. We discovered about 50 new species and one of them, Anthurium Bushii, was named for me,'' he chuckles. "Then a hybrid, created with heart-shaped leaves was registered as Mike's Goliath!'' At the end of his contract, Mike Bush is due to hand over the reins to a Bermudian trainee curator.

Sarah Vallis, who already has a degree in landscape architecture from Guelph University, is on a Government-backed two-year training programme. This has taken her to the Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Department and the Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami, which was devastated by hurricane Andrew.

"It was decided it would still be a good experience for her to go there because it would show her the consequences of a serious storm and the importance of keeping records so that if need be, a garden can be re-constructed. She will then go on to the Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania which in probably one of the premier display gardens in the world,'' says Mr.

Bush.

The grounds of the Botanical Gardens are open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset and all display houses are now open every day of the year (except public holidays) from 8 a.m. to 3.45 p.m. The Visitor Centre is also open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with tours commencing there at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Schools and organisations wishing to book special tours should call Technical Assistant, Ms. Jo-Anne Curnow at 236-4201.

Mr. Bush would also like to remind the public that the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries maintains "a very good reference library'' at the Botanical Gardens.

The Bermuda Botanical Society meets on the fourth Thursday each month in the Arrowroot Factory meeting room. Anyone interested in becoming a member is asked to call 236-5291 for further details.

EXOTIC HOUSE -- Botanical Gardens curator, Mr. Mike Bush examines some of the specimens in the Exotic House. All the plants in this collection are found in the world's rainforests. Pictured left, orchids from around the world bloom all year round in the Exotic House.