Kew Gardens
If you ever get the chance to visit London, one of the most incredible places to visit is Kew Gardens. One of the world's most important, perhaps the most important botanical collections, their work is still world class today and they are involved in some of the most critical conservation projects on the planet. Their botanical illustration collection is vast and their seed bank is a monumental undertaking. Set in acres of lavish grounds in West London the collection contains many days worth of exploration.
3 Goldfish loll in the pond on a hot Summer day
The Glasshouses
My favourites. Even on a cold winter's day you can bask in lush, thick, steamy tropical jungle. It really feels like you are somewhere else. The desert biome has cactus and succulent specimens to make your eyes water. If you are really lucky you might even see the odd mini Chameleon, kept to monitor and control pests. I've never seen one there but I do know a consignment of 30 mini chameleons, (smuggled in and intercepted by customs officers at London's Heathrow Airport) were sent to a virtual home from home paradise to live in the greenhouses.
Flowering water Lily at the Princess of Wales Glasshouse
Aquatic
I love ponds and Kew's glasshouses have many ponds. It helps keep the environment humid where requires and adds a bit of real world jungle adventure. The ponds contain some incredible and very old Koi specimens. The houses are Victorian and hail from the golden ages of the Glasshouse. I reckon some of the fish have been there almost as long. You see them silently glide by in crystal clear water. It's almost like a scene from a Ghibli film ! The lily pond is impressive. The flowers often resemble exotic water birds and the giant floating lily leaves are like something from another world.
Koi Carp Loll on the Surface of the Pond
Victorian Innovation
This Vista was designed to frame one of the very long avenues of trees. You can walk all the way around the grounds with almost no obstruction.
Vista through the rusty old doors of the glass house
The Chinese Pagoda
At the far end is a very impressive and tall Pagoda where numerous species of Bamboo live. One of my favourite parts of the gardens. Beyond that there are woods leading all the way down to a picturesque bend in the the River Thames and out across fields beyond.
Indocalamus latifolius in the Bamboo Garden
Palm Trees
The Temperate House has many specimens of Palm. There are so many different palm varieties it's quite amazing. Some of the fronds are so big that you feel like an insect sheltering underneath them. In a city as urban, traffic congested and polluted as London it's lovely to take in the oxygen rich atmosphere of the temperate house. Kew is situated a few miles from the centre in leafy suburbs. On a good day in the summer there are loads of visitors but it never feels overcrowded. It really is that big.
Happy plants inside the Temperate house
Art In the Gardens
There are often installations and sculptures in the gardens and the shop has beautiful plant specimens to take home. One of my favourite things is watching the sea of bees pollinating the flowers. A couple of years ago they planted a very long path with wide flower borders on each side, made up from the normal plants which people in the UK tend to have in their gardens. It's like the Yellow Brick Road from the Wizard of Oz and instead of 5 or 10 plants, there might be hundresds. Impressive, inspiring and really amazing to see in full bloom. There is also a treetop walk which gives the visitor a unique experience walking among the treetops. One of my favourite parts of the garden and a popular attraction.
Tree ferns inside the Temperate house at Kew
Rise & Shine
As I mentioned if you ever get the chance, go see it but get there early, there's a lot to see. My friend lives nearby and she has a membership so her kids can go there almost like a local park. I don't get there enough myself but I am looking forward to taking the girls this summer. We'll have a picnic under the boughs of ancient trees and go exploring through the jungle environments of the glass houses. We took my elder daughter last year when she was really small. (She slept most of the day.) We'll also take our younger daughter for the first time, I'm sure they will both be wowed.
Banyan Tree Roots
To find out more about Kew Gardens and it's incredible history, here are a couple of links
Roof view inside the temperate house at Kew
