Kew Gardens, London
11th November 2022
The Botanical Gardens in Kew are a wondrous place to visit at any time of year. The grounds are studded with enormous specimen trees which were planted in the 19th century, and the enormous greenhouses are home to an incredible number of exotic plants. Having lived in Malaysia, we found the warmth and smell of the tropical greenhouse quite comforting, and the plants all quite familiar.
What one is less prepared for is the number and noise from huge aircraft on their descent into London.
As it was autumn, the leaves on the trees were changing colour, enhanced when the sun made an appearance later in the afternoon. I suspect we should have visited a few weeks earlier when there were more leaves still on the trees, but it was beautiful none the less.
Having visited Japan many times, we were keen to see the Japanese garden here in Kew, and weren't disappointed. The Japanese Gate (Chokushi-Mon; Gateway of the Imperial Messenger) was created for the Japan-British Exhibition in 1910 in the style of a late-16th century Momoyama period.
The Great Pagoda was completed in 1762 as a gift for Princess Augusta, the founder of Kew Gardens. It has recently been restored and the dragons on each layer now sparkle in the sunshine.
The flowers came in all shapes and sizes, so here is a brief selection.
As as we walked back to the car park, we noticed a lone mushroom which just had to be photographed!
