My first visit in ages to Kew it seems, certainly I haven’t kept up the mini-incursions where I would rush in to see one thing or another – just the Alpine House, or the Paeonies, or the raft of Camassias, the flowering cherries, or the roses, each taken in within a hurried hour (or two), if there was a parking space close to Victoria Gate.
The sun was shining, the sky blue and I started off down by the Pagoda-end of the gardens – the structure is tightly under wraps for renovation – before wandering up to the emerging Temperate House, the Botanical Art galleries (of which more later), passing along the Holly Walk (thoroughly photographed on a previous occasion) but not going up the Treetop Walk. A gazillion school children were excitedly making their way up the structure and I rather enjoy some peace and quiet up there. Probably my loss given the colours of autumn parading through the trees just now.
The Rose Garden (again worthy of a separate post) sent me round to the Family Beds, a peek at the Lapageria rosea in flower, the Salvia Borders (ditto another post to come), the Grass beds (ditto ditto), the Hive (very active, the bees) and then back past the lake and down along the Camellia border.
There, you have my itinerary and though I spent several hours of happy exploring, obviously I missed so much and shall return. Autumn finery is there aplenty – the fiery Japanese Maples have been stripped bare by storms various in recent weeks, and much else is still vivid green, so there is more to come.
Stayed tuned for Rebecca Louise Law in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Roses galore under the watchful presence of the Palm House, the Salvia Borders and the Grasses ….
The Teddington Gardener 