The cast-iron framework for this greenhouse--the Palm House--was an engineering marvel for its time (1844) and is an artistic marvel in ours. At the time of the worst windstorm in this building’s life so far, the glass had already been taken out and the plants protected—as part of scheduled maintenance. It was a lucky (no) break.
I found the lavender right away. It had been dry in London and grass was often yellow.
Once you paid the admission, a guided tour (which was informative, but did not cover anywhere near the entire gardens) was free.
I learned some new landscaping terms, though maybe not all useful when planning our own yard. A long expanse of grass and trees that frames a view a long way away is called a 'vista.' This is Kew's "Thames Vista." However, even when you were there--not just in this photo--the Thames was too far away actually to see.I'm going to let the photos do the talking for a bit:
Keith wins the prize for most dramatic photo of the day, taken in the Evolution House.For all the impressive garden architecture, landscaping, and horticultural feats of daring with exotic plants, I most enjoyed the old, old trees--another thing that there is no chance of in our Waunakee garden.
During the bad storm, this tree (Turner's Oak) did not fall over, but the wind lifted up both the tree and the ground around it. Surprisingly, the old tree then experienced a burst of growth, and Kew gardeners have ever since aerated the soil around their prized trees.
The graft seemed like a good idea at the time (1834.)The tree walk was designed by the same engineers who built the London Eye.
When we were done in the gardens--well, okay, when we ran out of time--we walked down to the Thames, strolled along the riverbank into the village, and had some ale, wine, and Pimm's at this little pub. Ellie ordered the Pimm's; I did not know what it was. What it was: delicious!
We had taken the tube to Kew Gardens; we returned on a Thames Riverboat Cruise and snapped these on the way back into the city.
I was intrigued by the bridges. Each had a distinct and unique personality.
After the boat, we took a 'flight' on the London Eye, a very large Ferris wheel with large clear pods instead of open seats. The wheel does not stop moving, but goes so slowly (a full circle in 30 minutes), people can get on and off even while it moves.
The Eye was built as a temporary attraction for the millennium celebrations, but turned out to be so popular that it is now permanent.
Views from the Eye: Parliament(above); Buckingham Palace and St. James Park (below.)
After the Eye, we took the tube to a different neighborhood. London has special crosswalks known as ‘zebra crossings,’ where cars must give pedestrians the right-of-way. The famous Abbey Road crosswalk is one of these. When we visited in the early evening, tourists were taking brazen advantage of their ability to make traffic stop while they imitated the Beatles.
I feel so sorry for people who live in the neighborhood. We did not take any of our own pictures because I did not want to add to the hubbub. It was fun, though, to be near the Apple Studios, and it is touching that there is still so much affection for the Beatles.Walking through this neighborhood, we were so impressed by the English gardening. When I’d heard of English gardens before, I’d pictured countryside cottages or large estates—something with serious square footage. However, within the city the tiniest front yards managed to grow spectacular displays. Hydrangeas, particularly, were lush and flamboyant.
I think it must have something to do with the long hours of sunlight. The island is so far north that on Thursday, for example, sunrise in London was at 5:00 AM and sunset was at 9:10 PM. In Wisconsin on the same day, sunrise was 5:33 AM and sunset was 8:34. London got over an hour’s more sunlight. And boy, do they make good use of it!Next: Day 4--NOT in London...
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