A very green year
Updated: 2016-08-06 10:43
By Mike Peters(China Daily)
|
|||||||||
![]() |
[Photo/Courtesy of Visit Britain] |
I've been a "plant nut" for most of my life, and for a fan of beautiful gardens, the English garden has a unique appeal.
The phrase "English garden" means serenity. A scrum of ivy climbing a cottage wall. Masses of tiny Canterbury bells in spring, and great spikes of hollyhocks in summer. A cup of tea outdoors. The English garden is Downton Abbey and Miss Marple and old-school ties all rolled into one package of utter charm.
The British tourism agency has declared 2016 to be the Year of the English Garden, and Kew is one of the highlights for any visitor with an eye for horticulture or landscape design.
Kew is the oldest and most famous botanical garden in the world, created in 1759. The UNESCO World Heritage Site boasts impressive historical buildings and glasshouses bursting with tropical plants. The vast grounds are enticing year-round, anchored with trees that knew King George III personally, and breathtaking landscapes with plants showing their best color in different seasons. There are lakes and ponds-with swans, of course, connected by walking paths to historical buildings. The Princess of Wales Conservatory is electric yellow this month, bedecked in the summer blooms of allamanda, and the wildflower meadow teems with bee-seeking blossoms.
You can visit www.kew.org to see what's in bloom at the time you want to travel, plus events, activities for kids and an interactive garden map.
If you're a sketch artist or painter, you'll want to put on light, comfortable clothes for the slightly steamy Waterlily House. This famous glass structure features waxy beauties in white, yellow, pink and purple, so loved by artists who are entranced by nature. Some of the South African lily pads are the size of small boats. The Waterlily House is good for an hour of gawking by itself, and if you don't get enough waterlily magic, the gift shop has lovely postcards and gift items that feature those popular views.
The gift shop is a destination of its own, with souvenirs ranging from porcelains, linens, amazing orchids, teas, cosmetics and fragrances made from plants in the garden-most are custom-made for Kew.
Kew Gardens is an easy detour between the heart of London and Heathrow airport, so we found it convenient to schedule a stop there on the last day of our London trip. Kew is very near the village of Richmond, where there are quaint bed-and-breakfast options, good restaurants and lively pubs.
- Nepal's newly elected PM takes oath
- Texas gun law worries incoming students
- China vows to deepen economic, trade cooperation with ASEAN
- Fire guts Emirates jet after hard landing; 1 firefighter dies
- Egypt's Nobel-laureate scientist dies of illness in US
- THAAD muscle flexing unmasks anxiety over declining hegemony
Big names train for Rio 2016
Photo exhibition narrates charm of old Beijing
Traditional Tibetan handicrafts kept alive in SW China
Chinese Vice Premier visits Olympic delegation
World's fastest bullet train to start operating next month
Jack Ma visits rural school, meets teachers
Top 8 global market leaders from China
After Typhoon Nida, torrential rain hits S. China
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
![]()
|
![]()
|
![]()
|
![]()
|
![]()
|
![]()
|
Today's Top News
US launches airstrikes against IS targets in Libya's Sirte
Ministry slams US-Korean THAAD deployment
Two police officers shot at protest in Dallas
Abe's blame game reveals his policies failing to get results
Ending wildlife trafficking must be policy priority in Asia
Effects of supply-side reform take time to be seen
Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi to meet Kerry
Chinese stocks surge on back of MSCI rumors
US Weekly
![]()
|
![]()
|