Kew Gardens, England (Part II)
japra | May 01, 2009 | Comments 18
Continuing our tour of Kew… Part I can be found here.
This beautiful home was built in 1631 for Samuel Fortrey, a rich merchant. The royal family leased the house in 1728, and used it as a family retreat during the time of King George III. Today, you can tour this home. I’d like to go back and see it and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage.
Here is the garden behind the house. It is a 17th century style garden designed by Sir George Taylor in 1959.
The plants in the Queen’s garden are examples of plants grown in Britain before and during the 17th century. For all you cat lovers, I did see a cat nip tucked away in a side bed :-)
I thought this willow sculpture of a seed by Tom Hare was interesting. I would have liked to have seen more of his work, but my friend S and I were on a mission… to find the Rhizotron Xstrata Treetop Walkway.
But along the way, we had to stop and smell the lilacs.
Oh my goodness, they smelled good.
I thought my Southern US friends would enjoy this photo of the Azalea Garden. It was so pretty! Back in Texas, the most popular colours for these flowers are white, dark pink, and light pink. Here I saw orange, yellow, and salmon as well.
This meadow is close to the place where I took this photo. One of the things I liked best about Kew is you get the glasshouses, the manicured gardens, the natural meadows, and the woodlands all in one spot. I think it is wonderful. BTW, Kew is also a research centre for plants and fungi, though I don’t think most people think of that when they visit. However, it’s nice to know someone is thinking about these things, isn’t it?
The Sackler Crossing. Those posts are brass. What a pretty and unusual bridge! It was added to the garden just three years ago.
Okay, here is the new Rhizotron and Xstrata Treetop Walkway. I was going to give it a go until I saw this…
That’s the floor of that walkway. I figured if I could see up through that thing, I could probably see right through the metal mesh floor all the way to the ground nearly 60 feet below. No, I did not go up there. Are you crazy?! Here’s a short video of the making of this walkway, if you are interested.
Rather than making a complete fool of myself by passing out from fright on the treetop walkway, I watched this guy…
jump down…
and strut…
his stuff. Is he fabulous?
We spotted another peacock in front of this garden folly–King William’s Temple, which was built in 1837 in this Mediterranean garden. Sadly we didn’t get to look around in here at all because we needed to head back to the train station and go home.
We saw this sweet chestnut tree on our way out. It was planted in the early 18th century (or possibly the late 17th century) and is believed to be the oldest tree in the garden. How long can trees live, I wonder? And what will Kew Garden look like 250 years from now on its 500th birthday?
I hope it will still be around.
Richmond, England
Length of Visit: 3 hours, but I could have stayed the entire day. Be sure to pick up a brochure when you buy your tickets. There are suggestions on what to see for a 2-3 hour visit.
Recommended for everyone.
For price and hours, best to check the website.
Filed Under: Blog • Destinations • Featured • London • Outdoors • United Kingdom
About the Author: JaPRA is an expat Texan living in England with her husband (Mr. DJ), their 17-year old daughter (Roxi), and their dog Trudy.
The peacocks were so pretty. Have you ever heard them make their peacock noises. Seriously it sounds like someone is being stabbed. Very annoying. They are still gorgeous though!
Kat, no I haven’t! But that peacock was one big guy. He actually scared me a little bit. I wasn’t sure if that show of feathers was a warning (my friend was about 8 feet behind him!) or he was just showing off. I’ve never seen a peacock up close before.
I like the natural meadows, and that tree top bridge did look scary.
Christine, the meadows were so pretty with the bluebells and the white flowers (not sure what they were). I think a picnic would have been lovely there. And thank you for sympathising about the treetop bridge! ;-)
Oh wow – what wonderful place to visit. My youngest sister is a horticulture major in college and will be interning at the St. Lousi Butterfly house – not near as gorgeous and elaborate as Kew, but I’m a little jealous of people who get to work in surroundings like that all day.
LucyLucia, I am not a gardener, but I definitely thought the same thing: “it must be wonderful to work here!” I am sure your sister would love Kew. The glass houses are amazing. And I am sure she could really appreciate the scientific aspect of Kew, too. It would be neat to visit a garden with someone like her, I think.
Another great instalment of Kews in words and pictures. I can smell the lilics form here.
Martin, do you miss spring in England? I had several heady sniffs of those lilacs, and now I know why it smells so delicious in England.
Kew Gardens is a must see for me! I would definitely have to pick up a brochure though because I would just be overwhelmed. I loved the (can you guess?) peacocks! When I went down to the Florida Keys once to stay with a friend, I woke up one morning and saw a peacock staring at me through the mesh door. I went outside to investigate and found five of them just hanging out on the lawn. I was in awe!
Xoan-Wahn, I was lucky and went with a friend who knew her way around the garden. But I looked at the brochure after my visit and it lists all the places I saw plus the “Temperate House”, which is the largest public glasshouse. That is amazing about the peacocks you saw! Did they show you their tail feathers?
Just found you via David’s Authorblog and am so glad I did! Wonderful photos, wonderful musings and can’t wait to see more!
Jane
Jane, thank you so much for taking the time to visit and your kind words! I love meeting new friends :-)
I loved the lilacs and garden folly – thanks for the tour. Can I book in advance for the next one?
Oh, I thought that brass bridge was cool too – isn’t it neat that the garden keeps changing – the folly from the 1800s and a new bridge? I like that.
Julia, I was really amazed how well preserved everything is! Talk about stewardship. And I also loved how they add a new structure every few years. It is all very lovely and wonderful :-)
I have never seen orange azaleas! That was a gorgeous photo. Bridge was a bit scary. I don’t think I could have done it either. As for peacocks…let’s just say that the hideousness of their call is the same extreme as the beauty of their plumage. Yes, they sound awful! I remember hearing them at Warwicke Castle.
Mimsy, that peacock seemed a bit agressive to me. And BIG and strong (for a bird). And yes, the azaleas were a treat! The rhododendrons are blooming now too. I’ll post some pics in a day or so.
This is amazing. You got that guy just when he was displaying! That’s hard to do. I’m with you on that walkway. That’s WAY too scary for me. Even though we know nothing’s going to happen, it’s impossible to do this. I was watching amazing race and they had to dive into an Olympic pool, and I said, ‘this is where we’d lose the race’.
But the lilacs! The lilacs are so great! I always wish to see those.
Thanks for a great tour. That’s on the top of my list for next time.
Pictures an excellent exhibition of the rich heritage of this wonder land which is best known as Kew garden. Hats off to the presenter. One feels the beauty of nature through these snaps.
I really enjoyed this piece of work.
Jarnail Singh Ghumman