As a postgrad student in London, Kew Gardens was my go-to place for revision sessions. Somehow, being among the flowers at this world class garden made learning law, public adminstration and shorthand more bearable.
Last week, I got the chance to go back – the first time since finishing the course. It was good to look around and remind myself just why Kew is special.
Naturally, the first place I headed was the famous Palm House. This beautiful Victorian building has plants from around the world, creating a rainforest in the middle of London.
It’s somewhere that repays close attention as there are layers of plants with hidden treasures. I nearly missed the flowers of Ophiocolea floribunda, which grow out from its trunk.
It’s also worth looking up – the different shapes and colours of the leaves overhead are beautiful.
Climbing to the upper walkway not only gives a view down over the plants, it also allows a closer look at the intricate building.
Next on my list of must-sees was the Waterlily House. At its centre is a pool – dyed black to give reflections of the colourful waterlilies. It’s home to the giant Amazon waterlily (Victoria amazonica) – I’d forgotten quite how big those leaves are.
Compared with the flaboyant waterlilies, the aptly named water snowflake (Nymphoides indica) is small and delicate but just as lovely.
Of course, Kew Gardens has more commonly seen plants and flowers too. The Rose Garden, home to more than 170 different roses, was just getting into full swing.
This is a traditional rose garden without companion planting and with the roses planted in blocks of single varieties. The scent, even without all the flowers open, was wonderful.
The 320m Great Broad Walk Borders are reputed to be the longest herbaceous borders in the country. Certainly they are longer than anything I’ve seen in the Cotswolds, which has a lot of this type of planting!
They’re divided into eight circular beds with the central path running through the middle. I particularly liked the way these themed ‘semi-circles’ either side of the path had explanatory boards giving the plant varieties – informative without ugly labels spoiling the display.
Naturally, I added to my plant ‘wish list’ – I loved the colour of both Baptisia australis and Amsonia tabernaemontana, the latter being something I’d not encountered before.
Also new to me was this Indian horse chestnut, which was covered in flowers for my visit.
It was an enormous tree as you can see with the nearby Nash Conservatory for scale.
A mass planting of California poppies was giving a blast of hot colour in the Rock Garden and reminded me I really must add them to my borders.
This area covers more than an acre and has plants from the world’s six mountain regions.
In fact, the real joy of Kew Gardens is that you can travel the world in just one garden, from a desert scene in The Princess of Wales Conservatory to a classic English plant combination in the Agius Evolution Garden.
Everywhere there are information boards – I discovered Kniphofia are pollinated in the wild by African sunbirds, and that a rare coffee plant may save the world’s coffee supplies in the face of climate change.
Once again, it seemed Kew Gardens was the place to learn – and it was far more interesting than shorthand!
For more information about Kew Gardens, visit the website.
Enjoyed this? You can read about more of my garden visits here.
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