OK, OMG is not the name, but it could be. Kew’s 300 acres (121 Hectares) comprises the world’s largest collection of living plants. And the day could not have been ordered better for a walk in the park. 3 hours only gave me a glimpse. I started in the Palm House as buildings close earlier than the park in general.
363′ (110m) x 100′ (30.4m) x 66′ (20m) high and 16,000 panes of glass, it is an engineering marvel. It is filled with all sorts of topical plants.
This last one is the oldest potted plant in the world. It was planted 6 years before the American Revolution!
The 52 step stairs takes you to the upper walkway.
The garden in front is not too shabby either.
As I walked about I saw some of the largest trees I can recall
Photos do not do justice to their majesty.
Various structures like Kew Palace
a Pogoda
Japanese rock Garden
And I think these are mushroom sculptures made of rattan?
One of my biggest surprises was to see green parakeets. Feral Rose-ringed parakeets. Hard to see except when in flight and then near impossible to photograph. There is one in the center
Cordyline Australis, the Cabbage Palm would not last one New England winter but have obviously withstood many Old England ones.
Always a sucker for the Monkey Puzzle
whose sharp leaves would puzzle a monkey to climb. I was surprised not to see any Great Gunnera. Maybe too early.
This Garden needs many visits during varied times f the year to fully appreciate I am sure. Remember it’s 300 acres. I didn’t get into 1/4 of the buildings.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
You could probably spend a week there. Hope the weather is treating you well.
Rich
It is a real privilege to have this link and “leave my world” for a moment in time. As an overly dedicated mother to a 3 1/2 year old, I never have/take time for myself. Right now it is 12:35 and I should be in bed, researching schools, ordering dog food online, planning tomorrow’s menu – calculating nutritional content, or dusting something…but I stole a moment to take a peek….and I’m so glad I did. I am enjoying “our” trip, so far, and am going to schedule a few moments every night to take a breather…relax, and escape… Thanks again for including me. Safe travels, my friend.