Kew Gardens aka: Royal Botanic Gardens

Kew Gardens was one of my favorite places to be in London. I visited my final full day in the UK, and it was the perfect way to end my trip. The gardens are absolutely beautiful. I found a rose there that I’ve come to love as the most perfectly scented rose I’ve ever encountered (Gertrude Jekyll, by David Austin). There were lily pads that I could have laid on, and bamboo that grew as much as my kids each day. The pagoda was breathtaking, and sitting in the grass in front of it has been one of the most child-like and peaceful experiences of my adult life. (The grass isn’t just grass; it’s an amazing blend of… who knows what. There are little bits of everything in a square meter patch!)

I’d recommend Kew to anyone, tourist and local alike. If you can budget at least half a day, spend it. You won’t be disappointed.

was many years ago, but I remember very vividly visiting the pagoda and marvelling at giant water lillies and Venus flytraps.

near the end of our whirlwind 4 city/16 day honeymoon extravaganza, the boy and i went to kew.

i’d lived in london in college and visited several times, but had never been to the royal botanical gardens at kew. boy was i missing out!

we spent a beautiful may day wandering the grounds and dreaming that we lived near enough to warrant buying a year long subscription.

Kew Gardens are wonderful! I took soo many pix while on my “Grand Tour” & would love to post them all. Kew Gardens are a must see for any level gardener. It’s set on 300 acres which can be challenging for some. There is a small shuttle train (for a fee)that makes it easier to see everything for those whose stamina starts to fail. I had 4 hours here & walked close to 4 miles! Kew is really a living laboratory and you can learn so much here. There many different houses-Palm, Temperate,Evolution,&Waterlilly house. Queen Charlotte’s Cottage with it’s charming thatched roof & Kew Palace with it’s rather ORANGE paint scheme. The small “cool” Aquarium located below the very HUMID Palm House is a welcome respite. King William’s Temple was well hidden & surprisingly small.Look for it by the Pagoda Vista. The statuary around the grounds are fascinating to observe & left me yearning for something similar in my own small garden. The “Queen’s Beasts” are 10 stone sculptures of real & mythical animals and represent the various strands of QE2’s royal ancestry. Don’t miss the statues embedded in the grand Yew hedge that surrounds the parterre garden located behind Kew Palace.

This will be the first stop on my Master Gardeners Tour in May.
It reminds me of the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle-albeit on quite a bit larger scale!