We spent a lovely day at Kew Gardens with the Invincibles. There really is so much to see.
Kew is the world's largest collection of living plants and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Victorian glasshouses, towering trees, a treetop walkway and over 300 acres to wander through.
We were met at the Elizabeth gate by Lynne our expert guide for the morning. The tour was excellent; our guide was highly knowledgeable and covered many aspects of the gardens including its history and the horticulture. The site is massive but we covered a large area and Lynne recommended a number of other attractions for both later and for future visits. It was a most informative and pleasurable experience including:-
The Great Broad Walk Borders. 320 metres of beds packed with drought resistant flowers, believed to be the longest border in the country, possibly even the world!
Our guide then pointed out The Kew Palace. Kew Palace is the smallest British royal Palace and it is best known as the temporary "refuge" of King George III, the place where he was locked during his "madness" period. Beforehand however, the palace was used by the King and his family as a summer residence.
Lynne also pointed out that Kew Garden at present is host to the largest outdoor exhibition of Henry Moore's sculptures. 30 monumental pieces are displayed across the gardens. Henry Moore believed "sculpture is an art of the open air" and that his works should be seen in "almost any landscape, rather than in or on the most beautiful building". This exhibition, devoted to the miner's son, reflects his lifelong fascination with natural forms and materials.
One fantastic fact about Kew Gardens is that the trees planted here are cleaning the air in London with over 8.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide absorbed each year. There are around 14,000 trees in the Royal Botanical Gardens, some of them as old as the garden itself, dating all the way back from the 18th century. The trees are planted in groups according to their species (over 2,000) with some very rare and ancient ones.
We also viewed the Hive. The Hive was first built for the UK's pavilion at the 2015 Milan Expo, by Wolfgang Buttress. It is 17 metres tall. Inside is like experiencing the inside of a real beehive, with all the sounds triggered by the actual honeybee activity inside Kew. Can't imagine how it was re-constructed at Kew.
We then saw the Carbon Garden with it's mushroom-inspired pavilion. Containing 35 new trees and 6,500 plants, the Carbon Garden is one of Kew Gardens most ambitious projects in years and aims to communicate the role that carbon plays in sustaining life - as well as the potential for plants and fungi to combat climate change. The garden presents fungi as 'allies of humans'.
Next we visited The Princess of Wales Conservatory. Stepping into the Princess of Wales Conservatory is like entering the jungle from an exotic destination, like Malaysia or Indonesia. The first thing you notice is the high humidity and the warm temperature. But no wonder, this conservatory is home to many tropical plants, cacti and orchids.
The guided tour ended here but not before Lynne mentioned the tropical Palm House. She urged us to visit before leaving as it is due to shut for five years for a net zero makeover. This huge glasshouse, home to world's oldest potted plant, is to get a £50m refit as part of an emissions-cutting drive.
It has been the tropical jewel in one of the UK's most famous gardens for more than 175 years, and now the Palm House is to get a green makeover. The attraction, which houses Kew's tropical rainforest, will close for five years to allow engineers and botanists to transform it into the first net zero glasshouse in the world.
The £50m plan will result in 1,300 plants - including the world's oldest potted plant, a gigantic Encephalartos altensteinii that dates from 1775 - being removed from the iron and glass structure and rehoused in temporary greenhouses until their new digs are ready. The plants include 45 plant species on the verge of extinction.
The imposing Grade 1-listed Victorian structure will have each of its 16,000 panes of glass replaced and recycled, while its soaring wrought-iron frame will be stripped, repaired and encased with a hi-tech waterproof paint in the exact shade of white used when the Palm House was first opened to the public in 1848.
But perhaps the biggest change will be the replacing of the Palm House's ancient gas-fired boiler system and leaky pipework with state-of-the-art air source and water source heat pumps.
The renovation is likely to start in 2027 with the exact date dependent on planning permission and funding.
Of course, we had to visit it.
Inside the Palm House we discovered a world of rare and even extinct plants (in the wild) that are growing here due to the efforts of the Kew scientists. There are trees that are at the base of many products that we consume every day: the rubber tree, the Cocoa tree, the Pepper tree (I didn't even know that pepper grew in a tree!), the sugar cane, the African oil palm and the coffee tree.
The building itself dates from 1844 and it's an iconic Victorian building made from glass and iron, resembling the hull of a ship. This is because the architects used techniques from ship building.
So it was off for lunch at the Victoria Plaza Cafe. Perfect for a quick sandwich and drink after our tour and before our own walk.
After lunch we walked to the Temperate House. This Grade 1 listed building (really a series of buildings) is constructed of glass & wrought iron and opened in 1863. It's twice the size of the nearby and probably more famous Palm House and is the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse in the world. It's simply a stunning building both in terms and architectural appeal and sheer size. By definition, being a reflection of Temperate climates, it's somewhat cooler than the tropical Palm House, which was much appreciated.
We then continued to the Treetop Walkway for views from amongst the treetops. The walkway is around 18 metres above ground and can be accessed either via the stairway or lift. Once at the top, there's a circular one way walkway that takes you amongst the treetops, with views of Kew's greenhouses and also a glimpse of the City far off in the distance.
Next on our list was The Great Pagoda. It was built in 1762 as a copy of The Chinese Ta. Back then it was such an unusual building in Europe that people didn't believe it would stand up for long. However, it has and now the 10-storey high tower is one of the gardens landmarks.
The Pagoda is decorated with 80 wooden dragons. A local tale says that the dragons used to be made from gold but were sold by King George IV to cover his debt. Historians say that this is not true, the dragons were carved in wood from the beginning but overtime, they rotted.
Next to the Grand Pagoda is the beautiful and peaceful Japanese Garden leading up towards the Chokushi-Mon, a four-fifths scale replica of the gate from Kyoto's Nishi Hongan-ji temple.
We then walked up Cedar Vista to the top of the Lake. Whilst walking along the Lake we spotted a fox, one of three we saw during our visit.
It was then back to the Palm House and the Rose Garden. In the late afternoon on a summer's day, the heady scent of roses drifts on the breeze.
Time to return to the Elizabeth Gate to meet our Invincibles and the coach home.
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is breathtaking. The iconic Palm House and the stunning Temperate House are architectural marvels, housing an incredible variety of rare plants. Don't miss the Treetop Walkway for soaring views, or the towering pagoda and serene Japanese Garden. Whether you're a serious botanist or just looking for a peaceful stroll, Kew is worth every penny. A world-class experience and an absolute must for any nature lovers bucket list.
