On November 22nd, I turned 40. I keep being told, 'life begins'. What I want to know is...if life is begining, what is ending??? Anyhow, as a birthday treat, my mum had the children, and Mark took me to London for the weekend so we could be carefree tourists. On Saturday, we visited Kew Gardens. I haven't been to Kew since I was a child when I used to go with my dad. What a perfectly blissful day. Autumn is a good time to go as it is quiet, the trees look great, and the glass houses aren't roasting hot. Inside the Main Gate were these fab willow sculptures done by a young artist, Tom somebody...how dreadful that I can't remember his surname. ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) I would have liked them all in my garden. ...more to follow
I would love to tour Kew someday. There has been a BBC program A Year at Kew, broadcast on our PBS station a couple of times but I have never been able to see the entire series. Those sculptures are fantastic, especially the Lotus seed pod.
More photos from Kew. Here is the Pricess of Wales Conservatory, filled with orchids, ferns, tropical rainforest plants of all shapes and sizes, ponds, green green green! ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) This is Kew Palace, a stunning red brick building which at this time of year, stands out beautifully. ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) Pretty in pink! ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden )
And a lovely GardenStew-er who stands out beautifully in front of the tree. Geeze, you don't look 40.
Oh boy! I like to see pics of KEW. I think that it has been 6 or 7 years since I visited there. Those "sculptures" look quiter nice. My fav was the maple seeds, but the rest were smashing as well. It looks like you lost some weight, EJ...is that correct?
What a great birthday treat!!! And you look so happy there! I love those sculptures too... I think my favorite would be the maple seeds too, but the tall flowers (the first one you're posing with) are nice too. That pic is very cute of you, btw.
There was a time when the sun never set upon the British Empire. So that's when Kew was most busy collecting plants from all over the world! Even today (I heard somewhere) they catalog over 5,000 new plants per year! I have never been to the Kew gardens myself, but my father has (in the 1960s). So that's how I have always known about Kew. Anyway, one of their many great achievements - Is the mass plantation of the Cinchona Tree all throughout the British Empire. Cinchona Tree is of course the tree from which the medicine Quinine is made (the world'd most effective anti malaria drug). Anybody here remember the story of "Mutiny on the Bounty"? It was on the Royal Navy's ship named HMS Bounty, when first officer Fletcher Christian defied the orders of his Captain William Bligh. Mission of the Bounty was to travel to Tahiti, pick up breadfruit plants, and transport them to the West Indies. Where it would become a source of cheap food for the workers. This was of course all done under the supervision of the Kew! Even the Bounty was designed to give maximum storage space to the plants - While leaving very little comfort for the crew (which is why rebellion soon took place). However in the interest that such a thing may never happen again, people at Kew then also came up with the invention of the Terrarium - In which plants had a survival rate of over 95%. Whereas before only 15% of the plants would make it through the ocean voyage. Thus the ships could then easily accommodate it's plant cargo, without sacrificing any of it's crew comforts. Anyway, the achievements of the Kew Gardens (and it's people) are far more then I can list over here!
I've been to London quite a few times but have never had the opportunity to visit Kew Gardens. Now that I've seen you photographs EJ I'm determined that, someday, I will go there. I loved the Honesty sculpture but they are all wonderful - such talent!! So glad you had a great week-end. And as Toni said you really don't look as though you've just turned 40. :-D I hope you have more piccies to show us.
Wow, the art is amazing! I especially liked the maple seeds. And that pretty plant standing by the tree too - I think it's a keeper. ;-) I've never been to Kew either, but I want to.
I have heard that some plants and trees over there are almost 200 years old now! Just imagine what their seed bank will be like.
How nice to get away with just DH for the weekend EJ, what a great birthday gift! Looks like a place I'd love to see as well. And yes EJ, you look GREAT!
Bless your heart--there you were enjoying your birthday treat and still taking photos to share with us! Kew is magnificent; the sculptures are fascinating; and you are, as we say in Texas, cute as a spotted puppy!
Happy Birthday EJ and I always heard cute as a speckled pup. Different part of Texas. ; Toni what does forty look like?I forgot what it looked like.If EJ looks like forty its a beauty. EJ you do not look forty.What a great trip you had.
