More than your average garden! (Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in general)

Member Name: caro

Product:	Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in general
Date:	21/04/01 (172 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: So much to do, even in poor weather

Disadvantages: Expensive cafes; too much to do in one day!

Famous as simply ‘Kew Gardens’, the full title of these 300 acres is the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. That name gives some clue to the multiple purposes of the Gardens. As well as a wonderful place to visit, the Gardens have scientific, educational and conservation roles, all of which contribute to the visitor’s experience.

Kew Gardens were originally much smaller, and owned by the royal family. They first became a botanic garden in the eighteenth century, and were handed to the state in 1840. Further gifts meant that the gardens expanded to their current size; today, visitors can see features from all stages of the garden’s history.

An important point is that you do not need brilliant summer sunshine for your visit. There is plenty to do indoors, so you can have a good time in just about any conditions except relentless, pouring rain. Most of the specific features I discuss below do keep you sheltered from the British weather!

THE GLASSHOUSES

Throughout the gardens are glasshouses, built at various periods since Kew was first state-owned. The most famous is the 1840s-built Palm House, notable not only for the plants inside (predominantly – guess what – palms) but also its architecture. Decimus Burton, who designed it with the help of ironfounder Richard Turner, was concerned that it be placed beside water so that its reflection could be seen: the glasshouse is located accordingly. A little way away at the Victoria Gate is a water tower, originally linked to the Palm House but never working effectively.

Inside the Palm House, look out for the world’s oldest pot plant! You can climb the spiral stairs to a walkway around the top of the House. A word of warning, however: the House is very humid, and on a hot, sunny day the atmosphere in the walkway can be rather overwhelming. The basement holds the marine display: although the emphasis is on aquatic plants and algae,
visitors’ attention does tend to focus on the tropical fish and coral!

The other great Victorian glasshouse is the Temperate House, built in two stages between 1860-63 and 1894-98. It is a series of rooms including two octagons; the climate is more pleasant than the Palm House’s, making this a pleasant place to sit and rest. Again, however, the visitor’s overwhelming impression is of the incredible mass and variety of greenery growing throughout, with some plants reaching right to the roof.

In enormous contrast to these glasshouses, the Princess of Wales Conservatory is a very modern building housing ten different environmental zones. It was designed for energy conservation, having no side walls and most of its space below ground level; other energy-saving features include having the hottest zones in the centre, and conditions monitored by computer.

The evolution house is very different in purpose and style to the other buildings. It recreates a journey through evolution from a time before plants, with rocks and waterfalls recreated. Smaller than expected, it is nonetheless entertaining and also has plenty of educational content.

Two of my favourite small houses are the Filmy Fern House and the Waterlily House. Filmy ferns can be as thin as one cell’s thickness, hence their name. The most notable of the waterlilies is the Giant Waterlily, which grows to enormous size despite being raised from seed every year – the best time to visit it is in July.

OTHER FEATURES

The most visible landmark in the Gardens is the Pagoda. This building dates back to the days of royal ownership: it was built in 1762 for George III’s mother. The building is octagonal and ten stories high, but sadly not open to the public. The single, narrow spiral staircase means that it would not be safe to allow access, which is unfortunate as the views would be superb. It has not always been unu
sed, though: during the Second World War, models of bombs were tested for flight by dropping them from the top through holes in the floors.

The pagoda originally had varnished iron roofs, with a coloured glass dragon on each edge (80 dragons in all). The top of the pagoda was guilded. However, the iron plates and dragons were sold by George IV to pay his debts, and the roofs are now slate. There is some irony in this given that it was the most accurate copy of a Chinese building in Europe when constructed, and George IV would show his own fondness for Chinese style in decorating the Royal Pavilion at Brighton.

Walking along the edge of the gardens towards the Marianne North Gallery, you pass through a ruined arch. This was built in the eighteenth century to resemble a ruined Roman arch; it has subsequently become even more ruined!

The Marianne North Gallery is quite incredible. From outside, it resembles nothing so much as a small cottage. However, step inside and you will be overwhelmed by the oil paintings which completely cover the walls. Marianne North began painting following her father’s death in 1869, and painted flowers throughout her life, travelling all over the world to do so. She gave her pictures to Kew and had the gallery built to house them: there are over 800 paintings there.

There are many more features than I can list here. As well as further buildings, Kew has specialist gardens such as the Cherry Walk leading to the Pagoda and the bluebells outside Queen Charlotte’s Cottage. There is a lake, with waterfowl, as well as a riverside walk. The best way to find out more is to visit the gardens and explore for yourself! You are given a map on entry, which has all the various areas and features clearly marked.

One feature found consistently around the gardens and in the glasshouses is informative labelling of selected features. This might include information about the uses o
f a particular plant, myths about its origins, or the history of a building.

FACILITIES

There are shops in the Orangery and at Victoria Gate, selling souvenirs, books and gifts. Surprisingly little gardening equipment is on offer, and almost no plants.

All the restaurants are now self-service. Sadly, as prices have gone up, quality seems to have gone down: a meal is now rather expensive. The Orangery and Pavilion restaurants are licensed.

A relatively new feature is the Kew Explorer. This is a gas-powered vehicle which transports visitors around the garden in a 40-minute tour, with stops at various points. You can get on and off as a ticket (£2.50 for adults) is valid all day. However, it is really better used for a single tour or just one stop en route, since it visits each stop only every 50 minutes.

Finally, there are special events throughout the year. These include the bluebells in May, the giant waterlilies in July, and the orchid festival (when orchids are also on sale).

Even an opinion this long can only give an overview and selected highlights: the only way to really discover Kew is to visit it, probably more than once. It is open every day except Christmas day, and tickets are £5 for adults.

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