More and photos to follow
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 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 Boarders. 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 no 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
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.
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