Kew Gardens, home of the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world. Not only is Kew Gardens expansive and life filled, it is also most probably one of the most restorative places I have ever visited. There is nothing quite like being immersed in nature to totally restore your mind and soul – readying you for the week ahead. I’d recommend a visit to the gardens to anyone, plant lover or not! And how amazing to find a place like this in the middle of the bustling city of London!
I was slightly too early to experience the full glory and magnificence of the English spring, but seeing so many tiny buds on the edge of blooming, was in itself a sight of wonder and beauty. The daffodils decided however to put on a show, and were out in bloom, creating a carpet of yellow in the gardens, bringing so much life and colour to the gardens, that were otherwise still hibernating – the buds ready to explode at a moments notice.
As beautiful as the entire gardens are – from Queen Charlotte’s cottage to the bamboo gardens and hundred year old trees, for me the highlight was undoubtably the Palm House (you might be able to tell this from my photos below as I took rather a lot of shots in here).
Stepping into a tropical rainforest in the middle of the chilly English weather, is not something I can say I’ve done before. The heat and humidity of the beautiful glass structure making my glasses and camera instantly fog up, obscuring my view! However this in turn added to the experience, unveiling the beauty of the palm house as my glasses began to adjust to the new temperatures and slowly began to clear the fog from my lenses, revealing a mixture of Victorian architecture and tropical magnificence. Huge palm trees, mangroves and cycads filled the entire space, reaching the high ceilings of the glass dome. Beautiful spiral staircases lead you up to the top landing where you could view the beauty from above, feeling as if you were in a rainforest canopy. I’m not sure I had felt so at peace and awe simultaneously inside a glass building filled with exotic plants. It was a perfect and harmonious mix of natural and human architecture.
The gardens are such a beautiful mix of the natural world and human ingeniousness. I loved that despite this, nature still took the leading role in the performance, allowing people to enjoy it’s beauty and splendour.
So if you happen to be in the UK, don’t spend another moment thinking about what to do next weekend – go to Kew gardens and experience the wonders of spring! It won’t be long before the buds burst open and shower the gardens in colour.
Love all your accounts, stories and beautiful photos Emma! Looking forward to reading what you get up to in the future!